Wait, Break, Resuscitate
by Fyre and Water
Summary: Marcus is persistent, very persistent. He's willing to do anything if it means gaining Carly's trust enough to tell her how he feels, even if it means waiting. Carly is only too happy to oblige. Her past still haunts her despite her best efforts to overcome it. Some things, you just can't come back from. Spin-off series based off of my one-shot 'Reasons'.
1. Bob Marley

**Hi! So I did a poll for the chapter Zoo on my one-shot collection about what I should write next. This is an extension of Chapter 18 'Reasons'. It **_**is**_** a Marly (Marcus/Carly) story so they'll be the main characters. It will be mostly in 1****st**** person, possibly switching between Carly and Marcus. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, its characters, **_**or**_** the classes I mention.**

'You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice'–Bob Marley

**Carly POV (CPOV)**

I'm facing the door as I block space for the title of my poster. While most of them are printed, some are still made using markers and glue. Like the aforementioned, for example. Girls sit around me alone or in groups working on their own posters. Quotes go up on them as well as phone numbers for various support groups and therapists. The work is fun despite its content. It makes me glad I'm double majoring in psychology and pre-law. Most of the girls here are, in fact, studying one of the two or have experienced something similar to what Keith did.

Someone raps on the door and Annie, a small blue-haired girl, pops up to get it yelling something about pizza. She peers out and I only look up when her annoyed tone filters through the rest of the noise. "Where's the pizza?"

"Do I _look_ like a pizza guy?" Gabby, my roommate, nudges me with a wink.

"Sounds like your boyfriend." I toss her a disgusted look.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's my younger sister's friend."

"Uh-huh, sure." I toss her another look before heading over to the door.

"I got it Ann, thanks."–Turning to Marcus I raise a brow.–"Yes?"

"Thought I'd come to see you. I'm off and am in the area for a while." I take a moment to look him over. He looks exactly like he did last time I saw him and I sigh.

"Marcus…"

"Look, Carly, I get it. I do. You are about as trustful as Sydney, which is to say not at all, but she trusted me…and I really _am_ in the area for a while. Can't keep the Alchs away forever."

"The…you mean Alchemists? It's impossible and Sydney trusts more than I do." Marcus shrugs.

"Sure she does. When was the last time you saw her?" I swallow and know he has me. Grinning to myself I stand straighter and send him a haughty look.

"I distinctly remember _you_ promising to take me to her." Marcus blinks and shrugs again.

"Okay, when do you want to leave?" I gape and shake my head.

"I can't, I was just…theorizing, Marcus. I have a thing on Saturday and classes starting up again on the Monday after that. I just can't."

"She misses you a lot."–I scowl at the carrot he's dangling.–"And, if you feel bad about making me pay. I won't. Adrian will." I have to smile at that thought. I'd rather make Marcus pay, but Adrian will do just as well.

"Fine…but only until Wednesday."

"That's three days." I bite my lip.

"I know, but I'm busy, I told you." Marcus nods once before turning and heading back out of the dorm building.

"See you tonight at 7!"

* * *

><p><strong>Marcus POV (MPOV)<strong>

I'm slightly surprised when Carly actually meets me by the baggage drop-off around 6. By the way she acted this afternoon, I wasn't sure she'd come at all. Or, if she did, I'd have to work for it. We go through airport security fairly quickly and board the plane half an hour after that. Carly doesn't release her pepper spray the entire time. Once we're seated I lean over with a small grin. "I'm pretty sure you'll do more damage than the spray."

"How would you know?"

"I know what muscle definition is Carly." A light blush covers her cheeks and she turns towards the aisle. I feel relief that my intuition was right in buying all three seats, she's more relaxed here than she was in the entire airport. A twinge of guilt courses through me. "So…what are you taking?"

"Senior classes."

"Which are…?"

"Health and Human Rights in the World Community for starters. Sex Crimes, Sex Panic; which is not a required class, but I had a bit of free time."–I roll my eyes at this, Sage sisters.–"The Politics of Law and Legal Thought, and that _is_ required for pre-law. Psychoanalysis and the Visual, again for pre-law. The final pre-law one is Psychoanalysis, Behavior, and Memory. Then, of course, Pre-Law and Psych…and AP Hebrew."

"You are taking a lot for a senior." I guess, but Carly just shrugs.

"Sorta. I feel like I have to take a lot to make up for the fact Sydney was supposed to be the one going to college, not me." I soften and tap the back of her hand twice.

"It's all good, she liked her school." Carly smiles, obviously getting the reference.

"Still." I hesitate, unsure if I should mention what went down in Nevada.

"Carly…what do you know about your family line?" She glances at me with a weird expression.

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious about something Sydney d…mentioned." Carly turns to face me fully at that.

"Do you know? About the…_thing_."

"I know what happened when the Alchemists tried to control her." Carly swallows.

"I thought I was the only one in the family…they never. I didn't…"

"I didn't know until a few weeks ago."–Carly sits back heavily.–"There's something else, but maybe she should tell you that one." Carly hesitates before nodding.

"Yeah…maybe she should."

"Don't tell her I told you, I'm not supposed to know."

"I'm not surprised you do."

"Ouch."

"We're about to land I think, the cabin light went on."

**CPOV**

The anticipation for seeing Sydney is greater than that of being in a large crowd. I barely notice we're in an airport until a brunette ushers us into a limo and slides in front with a tall man, also brunette. "I'm Rose, this is Dimitri. We're friends of your sister, Sydney."

"I know who my sister is."

"You have two. I was clarify…"

"Roza." The word is spoken quietly, but it shuts the girl up immediately.

"Right, your safety and comfort is our utmost concern…wow; I would suck at being a server of any kind."

"Roza, try to stay on track. Remember what Lissa said, no questions."

"Right, but be real Comrade, no way I'm getting out of this without at least a _smidgen_ of more info." The man, Dimitri, just shakes his head. In the mirror, a slight smile is reflected. Rose babbles on about something while I look out at the landscape. It doesn't take long before a sprawling college with wrought iron gates looms in front of us.

"Whoa." Rose grins back at me.

"Yeah, welcome to Moroi Court." Otherwise known as Queen Vasilisa's Court. We usually just go with plain old, Court."

"She's wasting time. She hasn't been active all day." Rose sticks her tongue out at Dimitri just as they pull up to a guard. "Stan."

"Dimitri, Rose. You're passengers?"

"A team of highly trained Strigoi."

"Rose! Carly Sage and Marcus Finch. Human." Stan snorts and nods toward the gate.

"I got that once you said Sage. Queen Vasilisa said they'd be coming. Apparently, Lord Adrian found two plane tickets charged to his account. Go on." We pull through and stop right by one of the buildings. Dimitri and Rose exit the vehicle before coming around and quickly escorting us into a long hallway on the second floor.

"Ready? They're in here." It's Dimitri who says this, but they both look concerned. Sydney is behind the door. For the first time in three and a half years I'll come face-to-face with her. _Am_ I ready?

**Cliff-hanger! I **_**live **_**for writing cliff hangers. So, chapter one! Or two, I suppose…'Reasons' can be the prologue. Hope you like, it was so much fun writing I almost forgot to stop :) Please send feedback, I will also be doing a holiday one. PM me for ****holiday**** prompts (Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, etc). Today is the exception to me posting chapters, they will normally be on Saturdays.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	2. Audre Lorde

**Hi! Hope you liked the last chapter. I DID forget to mention that the chapter names are the names of the people who said the quotes at the top of each chap. Also, there is no option to select Marcus **_**or **_**Carly when choosing characters to file the story under. I've decided that one week is too long (will change schedule around mid-terms and finals), so I'll update twice: Saturday and Wednesday. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the characters.**

'I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival' –Audre Lorde

**CPOV**

It turns out I don't have time to make the decision, it's made for me. Rose pushes open the door and I hear Dimitri mutter something that sounds a bit like Russian. No one turns but a tall blonde. She's too thin and too pale to be anything but Moroi, not Sydney. The blonde Moroi rushes over to Rose and embraces her. "Rose!" Again, no one turns. This must be normal around here. While the reunion occurs I take a moment to look around. A few more people dressed in Guardian gear stand around the edges of the room and there are more places to sit than people, but I'm more interested on the people crowding the couch.

Another Moroi, a brunette male this time, sits lazily against the back of the sofa. It'd be believable if not for the worry in his eyes. Such an odd blue color, one of the royals perhaps. A blonde sits hunched over a computer in sweats and a tank. Her brows are furrowed and she's frantically typing away, oblivious. Adrian sits on the other side of the girl and is leaning in to get a look at whatever she's doing. Another man, not Moroi, sits on the ottoman next to the sofa with his arms propped on his thighs. A Moroi woman with crazy curly hair sits next to him, her hand on his shoulder.

Sydney isn't Moroi, which makes her either the other male in the room–unlikely, but possible–or the blonde girl on the computer. "Syd?" The girl's head snaps up and her fingers stop. A wide grin spreads across her face and Adrian takes the computer. As soon as it's off her lap she vaults across the room and barrels into my arms.

"Carly!" I'm momentarily stunned and am frozen before I wrap my arms around her. She's as skinny, if not skinnier, than she was three years ago. It's frightening. "Adrian said he'd talked to you…how are you, with Zoe and dad I mean?" I shrug and pull away slightly so I can see Sydney clearly. The lily tattoo on her cheek is no longer gold, but silver. She's so different from the khaki-and-blouse-wearing girl she was at fifteen. Not just clothing wise either. Something about her seems freer, happier. Tears well up in my eyes despite me trying to hold them back.

"I was thinking about you after I'd heard the news. The lily it's…"

"I know, I broke the connection, like Marcus. Only I used a different seal. A clear one I invented." An almost indecipherable gasp comes from Marcus. He didn't know? "How are _you_? You look like you're about to cry."

"Just happy. I'm still dealing. Mom and dad split up, Zoe sided with him, and you were taken by freak Alchemists. I'm okay compared to you and Zozo." I wince at how that came out, but Sydney just smiles.

"Yeah. I was really hoping the Alchemists might try to convince me to testify for dad. Obviously they didn't. Dad's evidence was false and the fact of it is, if at some point if the judge decides to look up mom…dad's a goner. He falsified evidence. That's a federal crime you know." Still the same old Sydney in there it seems like.

"I don't want to talk about me, what's up with you?" She steers me to a love seat and motions to someone else in the room.

"I've been doing rape awareness events and started teaching self-defense classes."–I don't miss the grin she shoots Adrian.–"I'm double majoring in Pre-Law and Psychology." I also don't miss the wistful sigh that pops out of her mouth.

"That's amazing Carly…so you've…told someone?" Her voice lowers to a whisper at the end of the sentence and I bump her with my shoulder.

"Speak up little sis'. Yes, I told." Her grin is wider than it was earlier and even brighter. She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs again, this time contentedly. "So…you and Adrian?" I can't see her face, but I can feel her shifting around next to me. Her head picks up and she holds out her hand for me. I take it warily and look at it. Two rings sit nestled on her ring finger. The one closest to her hand is white gold with two rectangular rubies on either side of a square cut diamond. The band has circular rubies or all sizes sprinkled around the white gold. "Syd…"

"They're beautiful aren't they?" I nod, speechless, and glance up at her. Her smile is shy and her eyes wary.

"They're amazing…when? How?"

"When: after Adrian and Marcus popped me from Re-Education. How: Vegas."

"Vegas?"

"It was romantic Carly, we have pictures...we have _all_ the pictures actually."

"I can pull them up!" I startle and drop Sydney's hand. I'd completely forgotten about the other eight people in the room as soon as Sydney and I started talking.

"Maybe later, I want to talk to Carly about something." They exchange a look and I feel a small pang of jealousy for what they share. Sydney pulls me up and out into the hallway. "Carly, I have a theory about something, but I'm going to ask you some really weird questions before I share it. Don't act like I'm crazy. 'Kay?"

"Okaaayy."

"Can you start fires with your mind? Or…make yourself invisible? How about…"

"You're asking if I have magic, right? I do." She nods slowly.

"I might be right then…when did you find out?"

"Shortly after Keith." A grin spreads across her face.

"I _am_ right!"

"Explain now please." She manages to control her excitement at her discovery and breathes.

"Strigoi can't stand the taste of my blood, my blood which has a weird aura around it. Moroi can't either if you're wondering. My magic-slash-history teacher told me that magic is in the blood which is how I could break and seal my tattoo without the use of an actual seal…which I did create, by the way. So, blood. You're related to your parents and siblings by blood. So I started to wonder if it was passed through dad, only it wouldn't make sense because he's male and I'll explain the rest of that later. My theory is that it's a sex-linked, X-chromosome, dominant gene, triggered after a certain amount of time and chemicals. Think of AIDS, you can live forever carrying it as long as it doesn't activate, once it does…you have limited time…also, think of hemophilia only chemically triggered." She pauses and I put it together.

"Like after a surge of adrenaline mixed with estrogen?"

"Yes, exactly like that…but the only way to get that amount of estrogen is to be a post-pubescent female."

"So the magic came from mom."

"Yes, the trait will die off in males as they become pubescent. Which means all of mom's children should have it. Now, I know for certain it came from mom, because the more research I did, the more I found out. As I said, you have to have an X-chromosomes with the trait in order to inherit it, not triggered in males, blah blah. But, the trait has to be triggered or it'll die off."

"So definitely from mom?"

"Which means_ Zoe_ will get it. Which means if she's under any compulsion, it'll break."

"Unless she truly is loyal."

"Then she'll turn herself in." Damn. Welcome to Sage Family Reunions. I feel myself welling up again. Sydney spurting science nonsense feels normal, us worrying about Zoe. Normal. I can't believe how much I've missed it.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"I need you to team up with Marcus and first, tell mom I'm alive and send her here. Second, find Zoe and extract her. You'll have resources, money, and allies. I've already talked to Her Highness Vasilisa about it."

"Who is she? I've heard her mentioned a few times."

"The blonde girl who hugged Rose when you came in." I gape. Seriously? She looked more like a student from my college. "Another thing, we might need you both to either come here or got to Palm Springs…but that's a different subject we can discuss somewhere that's actually private. we'll announce the first mission now...if you're willing."

"Let's go."

**MPOV**

Sydney and Carly come back into the room with odd expressions. Sydney looks all-too excited while Carly looks nervous. "Alright, so if I could have your attention. My theory about magic being a dominant, sex-linked gene was correct. I'd like to proffer Carly and Marcus to find Zoe Sage. I know we have other priorities at the moment, but Zoe could end up in Re-Education if something triggers the gene that carries magic within her. Re-Education…whatever Adrian told you, it was an understatement. I'll leave it at that." I'm shocked by how much she revealed about Re-Education.

"Sydney!" I yell out an attempt to gain her attention.

"Yeah?"

"_Just_ me and Carly?"

"Carly and me, and yes." I scoff at her correction, but nod. While I understand the importance of this mission, it screws with a couple of my plans. On the bright side, Sabrina can handle it and I might end up with another date with Carly.

"Ready to go sweetheart?" Carly glares.

"Don't ever call me that again." I grin mischievously. This should be interesting.

**I'd like to add that I am _not_ a geneticist and do not know if a trait can be chemically activated/deactivated. Again, updating Wednesday and Saturday until mid-terms and finals. If you want to check out the rings, go to Richelle Mead's website and click on the blog tab. There's a post from Halloween that has pics and info on the Sydrian wedding. The rings are under the spoiler cut. I do not own the designs.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	3. Gary Zuvak

**Hello! So, if you're into mature themed books (life issues, world issues, etc.), Jessica Sorensen is coming out with her latest novel 'Unraveling You'. It's a spin-off from another series of hers, but can be read as a stand-alone. Disclaimer: I do not own the Bloodlines or the characters associated.**

"Your pain is an opportunity for you to learn about yourself."–Gary Zukav

**MPOV**

Everyone agreed that with the jetlag both Carly and I'd be feeling, we'd stay in Court until we got a solid travel itinerary put together. With Sydney around, we'll be gone by tomorrow. Carly stays next to Sydney and they talk amongst themselves. Adrian casually leans against the wall to my right and I raise a brow. "Are you going to punch me again?"

"Only if you hurt her."

"I would never hurt Sydney."

"Not Sydney, Carly. I'm not worried about Sydney, if you hurt her, she's going to be the one you have to worry about…probably either way, but I still thought I'd warn you."

"No, thank you or anything for helping spring Sydney?"

"That's what Sydney's for. I don't thank people who's egos are as large as mine." Turning partially I look up at Adrian. He's completely calm, but there's something about him. Something…less reckless than when we first met. Albeit we were throwing punches then, but even the meetings after that were full of reckless energy that I'd come to associate with the man. I wonder if being home helped. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You are a curious specimen Adrian Ivashkov."

"Marcus!" I jerk my head over to Sydney. A small smile is playing around her lips. "Please don't turn my husband into a research project."

"I was just comparing the differences from a few months ago." Sydney hums disbelievingly, but the smile doesn't drop. She turns back to Carly and we're forgotten.

"I meant it, don't hurt Carly." Adrian stalks off only to stop and kiss Sydney before leaving the room. Sydney and Carly retire shortly after that and I'm left with the queen and her friends.

"Well, as charming as this is, I'm heading up." The queen motions to a Guardian along the wall and they lead me to the room I'll be staying in. Jet lag, the world's greatest evil.

**CPOV**

Despite the luxury accommodations Sydney made sure I was provided with, I barely slept. It's been three years since I've stayed in any place other than my dorm room. It's my home now. Every time I close my eyes, I see Keith and his leery grin. I easily cover the bags under my eyes with make-up and make a pot of coffee before I go in search of Sydney's room. I stop outside, ready to knock, when I hear soft moans coming from inside. Backing away slowly I head back down the hall. No way am I walking into _that_. Squishing my eyes shut in hopes of chasing off the memories, I crash into the tall Guardian from yesterday, Dimitri I think. He catches my upper arms before I can hit the ground and stabilizes me. "I'm so sorry."

"No problem, Roza does the same thing all the time." I hum and untangle myself.

"Probably not for the same reasons." Sydney had told me about Dimitri and Rose over the phone before she was sent on her latest mission. I was too distracted yesterday to realize _this_ was who she was talking about. "At all." The corner of his lip turns up.

"Probably not. Are you looking for Sydney?" No.

"Sure." Even though the answer is noncommittal, Dimitri still leads me back the way I came. He knocks twice and I grimace. I was really, _really_ hoping to avoid this. The door is practically thrown open and Adrian steps into the hall.

"Morning."

"You aren't wearing pants." It isn't what I meant to say, but it's what came out.

"Ah, but I'm wearing boxers…though, I seriously doubt anyone would be scarred seeing my full glory." I stumble back in shock.

"Oh. Ew. You did not…ew."

"No doubt, is Sydney awake?" Dimitri is _way_ too calm about this. Seriously, way to calm.

"I'll get her…and leave you without seeing my glory." He winks before disappearing inside as I make a face.

"He is so…"

"Arrogant?" It's Sydney who finishes.

"You're quick." She gives me a one shoulder shrug and a grin.

"Quick study. Thanks Dimitri…you should ignore him Carls. He's just playing around." I snort. "He is, he isn't like that." The strangest part about that comment is that it usually isn't true. It's usually a desperate attempt at convincing oneself or total belief in denial.

"She's right. He's a good guy Carly, he may act facetious at Court, but he doesn't when he's not here." With that, Dimitri leaves.

"I really didn't need to hear the…uh…activities going on in your room earlier." Sydney blushes, but looks concerned.

"Are you okay, I know that it can be bothersome to hear something that has the potential to trigger an emotional and psychological reaction." I stare at her for a second.

"Stop reading psych books. That is almost quoted verbatim from one of my textbooks."

"I can't just not read, not learn, it's who I am." Laughing I pull her into a hug.

"Next time, text me and tell me not to come by, because I totally crashed into the seven-foot-hottie."

"Carly!" Adrian peeks his head out.

"Breakfast for Carly, lunch for us. Come on in." I follow them inside the room/apartment and sit at the table. It takes all of two seconds for Sydney to get down to business.

"I've got a list of possible destinations within the US that Zoe might be. I factored in dad's opinion as well as the other Alchemists, so it should be close. Search the entire area before moving on, go in order, and be discrete. I'll begin compiling data about over-seas locations and will email you with the list." A packet is pushed over to me. It's neatly typed in standard font and when I flip through it I find that it is also in order from east to west. "I've also put on recommended cars, restaurants, ATMs, and hotels. I thought it could be useful."

"Don't tell her she went overboard. That child was working from the time she got back up until half an hour ago. Adrian is very impatient."–The woman is a new face and she extends her hand to me.–"Danielle Ivashkov…ex-Ivashkov really. I'm Adrian's mother."

"Carly Weston. Sydney's older sister." Danielle humphs and nods.

"Good."

"Mom." Adrian's look is full of warning and I look between the two. What am I missing?

"So…the itinerary." Sydney's attempt to redirect the conversation is awkward at best. The tension in the room is getting to my sleep deprived brain, which keeps trying to bring up the incident with Keith–known only to me as the Incident.

"We'll be leaving tonight, thanks." I stand and turn, but not quick enough to miss Sydney's face fall. Danielle and Adrian stopped their stare-off and are now watching me.

"Carly…" I'm out the door before anyone can stop me.

**Duh duh duh! Kind of. So, I'll be taking suggestions on where Carly and Marcus should go first. Remember that they're in Pennsylvania right now, so east coast or just off the east coast preferably. If you have more ideas, feel free to list them in order.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	4. CS Lewis

**Hi everyone! So, I decided to wait a chapter before sending off Marcus and Carly for reasons you'll find out. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow! Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the associated characters.**

'Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.'–C.S. Lewis

**MPOV**

When I open my door I find Sydney standing across the hall. She pushes off the wall and comes to stand in front of me. "I've been waiting."

"I didn't know. Look, if you're here to tell me not to hurt Carly, Adrian already took care of it."

"I know."

"So the two of you _do_ talk between kisses and breathy moans?" Her blush is bright red.

"Carly told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Nothing. Back on the subject at hand, I need a favor. I know a lot is already being asked of you two, but can you just grab Zoe and come back?"

"What else, because that's practically a no brainer."

"I need the ingredients to replicate the serum used to break the tattoos." My brows raise.

"That's a lot to ask."

"I know, but we _need _to break that tattoo." I assume she's talking about Zoe and move onto the obvious question.

"How do we even know she's not truly loyal?"

"We don't, but we need to. Even if she is, Marcus, free will is everything. What they're doing is _wrong_. No matter how bad they are, she needs a choice." I sigh and don't bother pointing out the irony in her statement. Sydney has a way of making me want to do more against the Alchemists. The problem is, her solutions aren't always right.

"Syd…"

"Just think about it. I'm not asking you to condone it. I'm not even asking you to seal it." Again, the irony in that is astounding.

"You can do that on your own." Sydney nods to me.

"But I won't. I gave Carly the list of places you'll be going to." She walks away with that bit of information and I lean against the wall. Rubbing my forehead I sigh again.

"I need coffee." No coffee cup magically appears, so I resign myself to going back to the room we hung out in last night. Gathering myself, I head down. By the time I arrive it's almost 9 at night and nearly everyone is already eating breakfast. Platters of food are spread about the room and Carly is hunched over a packet. Sydney is nowhere to be seen. I sit next to Carly and in response she pulls her bowl closer. "Hey."

"Hi." I remember Sydney's blush and question about Carly. A slow grin spreads across my face.

"So…what exactly did you walk in on this morning?"

"Nothing…I just heard it."–I motion for her to continue.–"Perv."

"Your sister, talk to her before she does something stupid." This gets Carly's attention.

"Like what?"

"Like, say there's a serum that can break Alchemist compulsion tattoos. Without telling her."

"Why?"

"Free will. She wants to offer Zoe the option to make her own choices."

"But if she doesn't tell her, then it won't be free will." I shrug.

"I know. The irony." Carly hands me the packet she was looking over and goes back to eating.

"I'll talk to her." Carly sits with me until Sydney comes in.

**CPOV**

Sydney and Adrian come in talking seriously. I stick with Marcus until they're finished before heading over to confront her. "What are you doing?"

"Excuse me?" Her expression is one of bewilderment.

"With Zoe? Fixing her tattoo, or whatever it is, against her will is wrong. It's degrading."

"She'll never agree to it." I resist my urge to shake her.

"Doesn't matter. She'll hate you."

"She already does." I bite my lip and look Sydney over.

"Whatever the Alchemists did, they took your free will. Keith took mine. Leave Zoe withers. God knows at least one Sage daughter should keep it."

"We aren't victims!" Sydney's face is a mix of fury and determination. Sighing I raise a brow.

"We aren't, but you never know how she could take it." She could take it like me. The word victim haunts my head. Sydney's wrong. She isn't a victim, but I am. After three years, a crap load of therapy, and my talks, I'm still a victim. And I know it.

"Think of Hiroshima, Nagasaki. It was _wrong_, but it released thousands of POWs and saved millions. The war ended. So, yes it was horrible and wrong, but it saved millions."

"And killed thousands! Don't preach war history to me. War is degrading, dehumanizing. Those two events were a means to an end, there were other options."

"And how many would have died because of it? How many would have lost brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, daughters, sons, husbands, wives? How long would it have lasted? Would the war still be going on now?"

"Enough Sydney. This isn't a war, this is _Zoe_." Sydney pins me with a hard stare.

"It is a war. The Alchemists will do anything to get me and once the Moroi realize they can replicate the tech the Alchemists have, the Alchemists will do anything to destroy every Moroi. That includes Dhampirs and Strigoi. They aren't bad people. Hardly any Moroi commit crimes."

"Then this is your war, not mine, not Zoe's…" And I fell in her trap. Just like that, she had me, because it _was_ Zoe's war. It was Zoe's war and she didn't have a choice. Sydney chose to become a part of it, she chose which side she wanted to be on. I chose to leave it, put it behind me. Zoe…she was just doing what dad wanted. She had no idea what was coming. Would she participate in the extermination of millions willingly and efficiently, with no guilt? Or would she hesitate, but do it anyway? If we got her out, what would she do then? What options would she have? With her options, would she take any?

"Carly? You still with me?"

"Yeah, replicate the serum, but _ask_ her for god's sake." Sydney nods in resignation.

"Alright. Alright. I'll ask." She sweeps past me and to Adrian who hands over a computer. They murmur in soft voices as Sydney works. I look to Marcus who nods before heading to my room again. Time to go.

**Alright! That's the end of chapter 4! Hope you liked it. Where, oh where will they find Zoe? Enjoy the suspense :) Again, Happy Thanksgiving.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	5. Robin Sharma

**Hello all! Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! This one will be shorter than the rest, they're just getting started and I wanted to skip over the "they're driving…and driving…and still driving" stuff. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or any of the affiliated characters.**

'You were given this life, because you are strong enough to live it.'–Robin Sharma

**CPOV**

We decided to follow Sydney's advice and travel east to west, north to south. Binghamton, New York was the closest stop, being only an hour and a half away. The drive up had been slow from traffic, but once we were inside the city it was easy to find a place to park. We'd found a pizzeria to stop at to figure out how we'd canvas the city, thus our current situation. "We are _not_ splitting up Carly!"

"They'll recognize you. You are a wanted criminal."

"And they won't recognize you? You're Zoe's older sister!"

"We haven't seen each other in years Marcus." He makes a disgruntled noise and shoves his hand through his hair.

"We're sticking together."

"We have phones."

"Carly…for the love of all things good in this world can _one_ of the Sage sisters listen to me?" I smirk.

"No."

"We are wasting time." Throwing my arms in the air I huff.

"Fine! But next time we're splitting."

"Deal." His grin is maniacal as he tosses a couple bills on the table and all but dashes out of the pizzeria. The town is small and it doesn't take us very long to comb through it. There isn't an Alchemist in sight. "Damn."

"Told you we could split up." He just shakes his head.

"Where to next?"

"Hartford, Connecticut. Then Providence. Then Boston."

"Sounds thrilling. I drive." Marcus is not in the mood to talk as we head back to the car.

"Don't you have contacts you can call, have them look for Zoe? It'll take us years to get across the country like this. We end up coming back into New York at least three more times."

"We'll find her."

"What is it with guys and not wanting to ask for…"–I'm cut off as the car jerks violently.–"What the hell?!"

"Not my fault."

"But you're driving."

"And we're on a back road at night." Swallowing thickly I look out the window. I can't see anything beyond the glow of the headlights, but that doesn't mean things can't see us. I make sure the doors are locked and sit back.

"I forgot about that. It's been a while." Marcus glances at me.

"We'll be fine. Just light a few up and we'll be safe."

"I can't 'just light a few up' if I can't see them. Besides, I'm not like Syd, I can't hold large balls of fire. I know plenty of small spells, but just because I've had magic longer doesn't mean I'm anywhere near or better than her when it comes to skill."

"I thought all three of you were rather competitive."

"I didn't know she was a witch too." We're hit again.

"Go out with me."

"What?! No! Drive Marcus."

"I am…but if we do end up getting attacked, wouldn't it be nice to know you granted my last wish?" I have no idea what to think of that.

"You…are mildly disturbed." He shrugs and glances over again.

"Well…"

"No, watch the road." We go silent and eventually I calm down.

"I'm not like him." I immediately stiffen.

"Like who?"

"Whoever hurt you. I'm not him. I plan my battles silently and only for those planning mass genocide."

"Gee, sounds like fun…sounds like Alchemists."

"It is the Alchemists. Are you planning mass genocide or have allied with the Alchemists?"

"No. I left for a reason."

"Then we have no problems…and I knew that. Only, you didn't have to leave and run."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty for not having hardships getting away like you and Sydney?"

"No. I'm trying to make you understand. They never had you and they never will. You can do anything you want."

"Anything I want?" I can't quite tell where the conversation has turned and when Marcus sighs, I'm not sure I want to.

"If it was a serious felony and it occurred in Utah then there is no time limit on prosecution, if it was a misdemeanor then you had two years. You can put the son of a bitch away Carly."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"That's a lie. You're terrified. You hate him. You are exceptional at hiding it though. We stop through Utah later on I the trip, if you want to take the opportunity." I knot my fingers together. "It is your choice."

"I know." We go silent again and I have to wonder how much Marcus knows. Not just about me, but about everything.

**Alright! That should tide things over nicely. Do you guys want me to do several cities per chapter and have several chapters about the eastern seaboard then east (non-seaboard), Midwest then west (non seaboard), and finally the western seaboard or skip around and still have several cities per chapter, but only two cities per region? Also, do you want to know what's going on at Court and how they're doing in terms of searching for Jill?**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	6. Walter Bagehot

**Hi everyone! Sorry I'm posting so late in the evening. I got my midterm schedule today, so I can give you the new updating schedule. I'd like to dedicate next week to studying since midterms start 12/19. I'll be able to update on Saturdays ****only****. Also, because Christmas Eve is on a Wednesday, I'll update Saturday only then as well. Thanks! Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

'The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.'–Walter Bagehot

**MPOV**

Carly has been silent since I told her I saw right through her façade. I seem to be the first person to notice, or at least call her out, on her bull shit. We get into the next town and Carly all but stomps to her room. "I'll be right next door if you need me."

"I won't." The door shuts and I sigh. There goes progress, with a running start out the door. True to my word, I go into my room and set up my various laptops. Carly was right when she said we needed more than just the two of us looking for Zoe. More people, more sects, but Utah is _ours_. At least to give her the option. Once everything is set up, I send out a message to all the rogues under me, and finally I get some rest. We'll need daylight to search.

I wake up to screaming. It's still dark and when I look at my phone's glowing display it reads 3:56. Damn. Pushing myself out of bed I use the keycard I swiped from Carly to get into her room. She's thrashing around in bed, but has stopped screaming. What she does instead is so much worse. She's murmuring 'no' over and over again. An occasional 'stop' or 'help' is thrown in, but she's obviously reliving the incident. Settling my knees on the bed I gently take her shoulder. "Carly, Carly wake up. it isn't real anymore. It's just a memory. Wake up." Instead of doing as instructed, she just whimpers.

"Please don't hurt me. Keith _please_! You're a star, I won't stop you." Ice spreads through my veins. Keith. Alchemist. There's only one Keith who used to be a star and I looked him right in the eye. I wish I'd killed him after we got information on Re-Education…or before. It would've been worth it.

"I'm not him. I'm Marcus and I'm not going to hurt you. Not now, not ever." I release her shoulders so she doesn't feel trapped and flip on the lights. She rouses and squints at me.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"You were screaming."–I pause when I see her eyes widen a fraction.–"Why didn't you tell me who it was? I'd've killed the son of a bitch myself." Her laugh is bitter.

"Sydney's done enough."

"Re-Education isn't enough for whatever he did."

"Not just that. She doesn't know I know, but I've asked around. I saw the way Adrian looked at Keith. A Strigoi attack? One that left him alive, but without an eye. The same eye, by the way, he used to wink with. Yeah, no way was that real."

"And you assume Sydney?" Carly gives me a dark look.

"I know. I told you, I've asked. Ever heard of Abe Mazur? He was plenty willing when he found out who I was and what I wanted him to do. I went on a hunch and asked him to finish what Sydney asked for. He didn't suspect a damn thing." It's my turn to laugh bitterly.

"Guess again princess, he knew. He wanted to tell you or for you to know, whatever. Everything he does is calculated, including that." She frowns, but says nothing. Nodding as the silence in the room grows awkward I clap my hands together. "See you in the morning."

"See you." I glance back at her before slipping out. She looks worried, but otherwise okay. Maybe, Utah is where we should start looking instead of on the east coast. I go to my computers and power one of them up.

"Yo, Sabrina."

"Marcus."

"Give notice, I'm taking the Utah area."

"We know."

"No, I'm taking it tomorrow." Sabrina's eyes narrow before she nods her head and logs off. I stare at the blank screen for a few minutes before also calling for Sydney.

"Marcus." I have to roll my eyes. No hello from anyone? How friendly.

"Sydney…what the hell did Keith do to Carly." Her brows raise in disbelief.

"No. No way, not my secret. Not my life. It's hers."

"She admitted to Keith after a nightmare."

"Do I look like I care? She told you his name in a _dream_, then admitted it aloud. That means nothing. I am _not_ telling you. Let her."

"She'll never…" I cut off when I see Sydney nodding.

"If she trusts you, but she won't. Or, it isn't likely…have you found anything on Zoe?"

"She's not in the first town on the list. We got to the second at night so we're waiting it out until morning…and Strigoi attacked our car." Sydney gives me a look like she thinks I'm stupid.

"Stay off back roads." I grin.

"Of course."

"And, Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"The list is for convenience, you don't have to follow it. Not if you have a…strategy in mind." Did she just give me permission to take her sister to Utah?"

"Like where?"

"Well…home."–She did.–"Take her to mom, to look around town again, to maybe a…justice building?" Sydney looks so hopeful on the monitor with her scrunched eyebrows and bitten lip.

"I was already doing it."

"Thank you. Maybe she'll listen to you; god knows she doesn't to me."

"She's terrified of Keith you know. Of it happening again." She looks taken aback.

"I…she…why didn't she tell me?"

"You're her younger sister, after all you did for her, she doesn't want to upset you. Oh, and she knows about Keith's eye. Constantly keeping me on my toes Syd."

"He deserved it."

"Never said he didn't…I'd do it myself if I could." Sydney nods, as if it's confirmation for something.

"Adrian owes me fifty bucks." I gape before composing myself.

"Why?"

"He said you wouldn't be violent about it, but rather do something with his papers and tech. I disagreed and I was right."

"Damn!" Adrian's voice filters through. Sydney is far too smug about the fact she beat her husband in a bet.

"He's terribly disappointed as you can hear."

"I can…but when are you not right?" Her expression retreats a little and I try to find what I said.

"Often." Adrian's head pops in the frame.

"Lies."

"Goodnight." I shut the computer browser and work on finding last minute flights to Utah. I practically got a gold star for already planning the trip, why not make it happen? My only concern is Carly's reaction.

**Tada! Like I said, I know it's late, sorry. Hope you enjoyed it, though! Anyone a fan of The Selection? Kiera Cass' new novella, The Queen, came out yesterday. It had an excerpt at the end from her next novella, The Favorite. Sooo good!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	7. Ernest Hemingway

**Hi! So I realized there was a typo in my last chapter, my midterms start on 12/15 and **_**end**_** on 12/19. I think I typed in 19 b/c it's the midterm I'm most worried about :P. So yeah, only updating on Saturday the next two weeks, then back to normal for one, and Saturday again for Christmas…though I'm considering updating that Tuesday, not sure if it'll be this story or with the holiday one-shot. PM me with thoughts on Tuesday's (12/23) update.**

'The world breaks everyone, and afterword, some are strong at the broken places.'–Ernest Hemingway

**MPOV**

After discretely buying last-minute tickets this morning, I haven't made a move to do anything about Utah. Maybe we can get through the airport and flight without anyone saying where we're going…which isn't likely. Today's excursion, if we're to take Sydney's list literally, should be quick. Hartford is a mix-up of the same roads that continuously intersect one another. If taken literally. West Hartford and East Hartford seem to be considered different form Hartford. Thus, quick searching. "What if she isn't anywhere we search?" Carly's voice startles me.

"What do you mean?"

"What if they put her in Re-Education." I hesitate.

"I don't know. There's only one Re-Education center in the US and that's been found out, I doubt they'll put anyone there again. They'll have to rebuild, which means no serious punishment from the Alchemists for a while."

"Sydney was in it? The center?"

"Yes."

"What…what was it like in there?" Her question simultaneously startles me and angers me. I don't understand the latter response. Carly has a right to know because of her sister, I just didn't think she'd ask. Which explains me being startled, but angry? Maybe the thought of the injustice done to Sydney and one of my other acquaintances, the thought of the conditions, and being curious about them but not asking the victim–though I loathe myself for thinking either of them that way–just makes me angry. I go with a semi-neutral response.

"Ask Sydney."

"I did. She didn't answer me." _This_ truly infuriates me. Before it was a flicker of indignation that could become anger, this is fury.

"You're sister didn't answer you and you ask _me_ instead? Did you ever think she doesn't want to talk about it? If she were to tell anyone in the world what happened, it would be Adrian, but she hasn't even told him. The people there with her were only truly with her for a third of the time. They don't know everything. Tell me this, if you were in her shoes, would you explain?"

**CPOV**

I'm surprised by Marcus' explosion. We'd been talking and he'd been calm, but all of a sudden _boom _and he's practically yelling. I knew it was a long shot that he'd know, but Sydney wouldn't tell me and I recognize the look in her eye. It's the one I wear every day. "I just wanted to know so I could help."

"Then don't ask her, or anyone else."

"Marcus, I looked up the laws regarding felonies in Utah."

"And?"

"They can prosecute him if I have evidence. I don't have any evidence and I never gave a statement." Marcus glances over at me.

"Doesn't matter, it's a serious felony."

"Here's a hint, my time limit is a year away from being up. It could be months away."

"We don't need months, we just need a few hours."

"What?"

"Did I not mention we're going to Utah? Must've slipped my mind, we have tickets."

"You son of a–" I smack him with the back of my hand instead of finishing.

"Don't worry, we still have time before the flight to look for Zoe." I sigh and nod. It's a battle that I've been slowly losing. "You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, but I think you should."

* * *

><p>The airport gives me a headache even though we've already been through security. The noise and heat coming from the people surrounding us was enough to make even the most patient of people want to explode. I don't even hear it when our flight number is called, Marcus ahs to nudge me with his duffle to get me up. The flight is only two hours before we touch down at O'Hare and have to connect through to Salt Lake. Then we get the lovely 25 minute drive up to Layton and to mom. For some reason, we aren't getting a hotel.<p>

The trip goes by quickly after I start writing a speech for my next event and before I know it, we're sitting in front of my mother's new house. It's two stories and has brick fronting as well as a two car garage. I take a deep breath and climb out of the car. "She knows we're coming, right?"–Marcus is silent.–"Right?"

"I forgot that part, I thought you'd call her." Men.

"Fine!" Pulling out my phone I dial mom's number. It rings a couple of times before she answers.

"Hi Carly."

"Hi mom, would you mind if a friend and I came over for a couple of days?"

"Sure? When will you be here?"

"Now. Said friend didn't tell me that you weren't informed of our coming presence."

"Okay, I'll unlock the door." I murmur a response and hang up.

"Come on you." Mom is unlocking the door as we reach it and she pulls it open with a smile. I go into her arms and sigh. "I'm sorry about Zoe."

"I know darling, it wasn't your fault…have they found Sydney?" I remember back to the call I'd made after Adrian and Marcus had come by. It had been tearful.

"Yeah and on top of it, she's married."

"Recently. And to a good guy. I'd trust him with my life." Marcus has to lean around me to interject. He hold out his hand with an award winning smile. I roll my eyes. "Marcus Finch at your service."

"I know who you are. It was a big deal when you went rogue. You helped my daughter then?"

"She helped me and we began working together against the Alchemists, then I helped her boy–husband spring her from Re-Education. They proceeded to run to Vegas." Mom raises her brows.

"Who is this husband of hers?"

"The reason she was in Re-Ed in the first place." I can't help but respond.

"Oh? Why don't you two come in and explain what's going on, I have coffee brewing." I grin. The Sage family's coffee obsession came from mom. Dad only drank the stuff if he wanted to get into the good graces of whoever he was working with, but us girls drank it like it would keep us breathing. Marcus and I follow mom inside and to the living room. It's mostly bare, having just moved in, but there's a couch and a love seat. I flop back onto the couch and watch as Marcus takes the chair. Mom comes back with three mugs balanced in her arms.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning." Marcus announces after drinking a few sips of the proffered coffee.

**Alright. Another late night chapter, but one more I was busy :( I am terrible at coming up with names for parents, so **_**please **_**PM me with first and last names for the Sage Mother. How do you think said mom will react to everything? Also, right now I only have a Christmas one-shot in mind, but if someone would like one for Hanukah let me know so I can write it up for the 20****th**** (not the start, but it's midterm week so…).**

**R&R**

**Ciao!**


	8. Unknown

**Hey all! It's getting closer to the holidays! Hope everyone is having a nice December thus far. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

'Fear is nothing more than an obstacle that stands in the way of progress.'–Unknown

**CPOV**

I'm eager to hear the story Marcus is getting ready to reveal. He knows so much more about Sydney and Zoe than I do. So much more about Adrian and Re-Education and the Alchemists. When he sets down the mug and sits back I edge forward. "I met Sydney back in December. She'd been looking for me, and I for her, but she reached me first. I admit there was a bit of a scuffle since I didn't know who she was at first. We got to talking and became allies. Adrian wasn't the most welcoming of people, but agreed to help me."

"Allies? You speak as if you were in a business." Mom is quick to interrupt.

"I am miss…"

"Rossi. Deborah Rossi." Marcus nods.

"I created an organization of ex-Alchemists and ex-Warriors of the Light, which I'll get to. Sydney and I met up again, only this time she brought a Guardian with her, Eddie Castille. We talked and negotiated until we were both satisfied. She got me an illicit tape from St. Louis and I told her about the organization. The Warriors of Light, are a branch of the Alchemists from back in the medieval times. They want to destroy all Moroi and Dhampirs."

"I thought the Alchemists were trying to help." Mom once again interrupts, but this time I'm as equally interested.

"They supposedly didn't know. After Sydney delivered the tape, I broke her tattoo, but couldn't seal it. I was going to Mexico with the next group of recruits so they could seal their tattoos, she was coming…but decided to stay with the crew. Breaking the tattoo just gets rid of the compulsion, sealing it makes it so the compulsion never works again. It was blue originally. Anyway, Zoe arrived later that night. Adrian and Sydney did their whole relationship thing in secret and Syd found a way to seal the tattoo without blue ink. She tested it and it worked, so when I was back in town we were going to meet, but Zoe tricked Syd into the hands of the Alchemists."

"Why?" Marcus glances at me.

"Because she thought she was right. We didn't find Syd until July. Adrian and her ran to Vegas and ended up at the Moroi court. By the way, are you a witch?" I jump up angrily.

"Marcus!"

"What? It was a reasonable question."

"It's alright Carly. Yes, I am. It's been passed down through my line for generations."

**MPOV**

I nod and gently lead Deborah into the kitchen. "Do you know why we're here? Other than what Carly told you on the phone?"

"Is it about Sydney and Zoe?"

"Kind of. We're looking for Zoe, but we're also here for…where did you used to live?"

"2106 Tulane Ridge, Salt Lake City, why?"

"To say goodbye."

**Eek! Shortest chapter yet. I am sorry about that, hopefully I'll have a little more in my brain for next Saturday (I should because midterms are over) and the chapter will go for a little longer. What will Deborah do with the news of her youngest two daughters? Especially since Marcus left out an important detail in the story. Can anyone find it?**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	9. Rikki Rogers

**So, I was almost done with this chapter and my computer decided to 'update' itself and completely deleted the entire thing. I checked the Recycling Bin and the regular documents to see if it ended up there. No such luck. Seriously need a new computer. Thank god for near perfect visual memories! Anyway…five days until Christmas! Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or it's affiliated characters.**

"Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn't."–Rikki Rogers.

**CPOV**

I look around while Marcus and mom talk in the kitchen. It's a nice place. There's a fireplace against the wall overlooking the backyard and the room is big enough to fit a couch, two chairs, a table, and a TV with plenty of extra space. The back lawn is manicured to perfection. Marcus and mom come back into the room and I stand. "Can I stay here?"–Marcus gives me a look and I correct.–"Can _we_ stay here?"

"Sure, sure. Let me show you the upstairs." We follow mom up a flight of stairs and into a hallway of doors. Most of them are open, only a couple are closed. I peek into a few of them and spot a bathroom, a lavender bedroom, and a light green bedroom. Mom stops in front of a closed door and I have a suspicion to what color the room will be. She pushes open the door and I smile. It's pale orange in color and has wildlife photography on the walls and dresser. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah…they'll like theirs too. Thank you." Mom grins and leads Marcus down the hall. I wait in the doorframe until she comes back. "You wanna talk?"

"Yes." I move aside and shut the door behind us. Sitting on the bed I wait as she sits parallel to me. "Is Sydney really okay?"

"Yes. She loves her…life. She really does." I don't know why I omit Sydney's marriage. Marcus and I both did it. I should tell mom, she _needs _to know…but I can't. "You should talk to her." I don't wait for a response before I'm dialing Syd's number.

"Did you find Zoe? Is something wrong? Has Marcus been a jerk? Were you kidnapped?"

"Do you want to talk to mom? She's sitting right next to me."

"Okay." To my surprise Sydney sounds…shy. I hand over the phone and watch as mom takes it with shaking hands. I've never seen her this nervous, not even during the trial.

Sydney? Oh, darling! Are you okay?" Bowing my head against the private moment, I slip out of the room and to the kitchen.

**Deborah POV**

"I'm fine mom." Sydney's voice holds amusement.

"I did know what had happened. You just disappeared and no one would tell me anything. I was enlightened this afternoon that you were in Re-Education, I'm so sorry baby. I would've divorced your father sooner if I'd known he would put his own child in that place."

"It's okay mom. I wasn't alone. I…I'm glad dad put me on that mission. It kept Zoe from getting inked a little longer and I met a lot of really great people that will always have my back."

"That's good sweetie."

"Can you come over? I'm in Pennsylvania." Sighing softly, I run my hands through my hair.

"I don't know baby."

"Right, you've got work and a new house?"

"Yes. So, how's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend anymore–"

"I'm sorry."

"Because he's my husband."

"Wait, what? You got married?!" I shriek as I stand.

"They didn't tell you. Well, yes. In Vegas…but it was going to happen either way…and it was really romantic. Oh momma, he sold a cufflink he got from his great aunt to buy us rings. Technically, the rubies from the links are still in the family since I wear them on my engagement ring."

"Who is this guy?"

"Oh, mom, his name is Adrian and…what? Oh yeah sure."–Sydney's voice gets quieter as she answers whoever was talking to her.–"I'll put him on. He really wants to meet, I mean talk, to you."

"Hello Ms. Rossi." His voice is smooth and deep, but not smooth enough for me to get the hair-raising tingles from compulsion.

"Well you didn't call me Sage, which is a start."

"I've never met Jared Sage, but from what I've heard and seen, he'd be my dad's best friend if I weren't Moroi…that isn't a ringing compliment mind you. Do you still repair classic cars?" I'm startled by the rapid change in topic have to think about the question.

"Yes. Why?"

"Because Sydney's ca…ow! What was that for?" Someone responds in the background. "I don't care if my name is on the title deed, it's _your_ car. Sorry, Syd was arguing semantics. Her car needs fixing. The guy at the repair place said it was totaled…but maybe with a bit of magic it could be fixed right up."

"Are you asking me to fix a car or if I'm a witch?"

"Both! It's a two-in-one special sponsored by Adrian Ivashkov." My stomach plummets. Adrian Ivashkov. On the rare occasion Jared would talk about work, Adrian was often brought up as one of the worst Moroi. A hard-core partier and drinker with a master's degree in sleeping around.

"Both. And if you hurt my daughter you will regret being born." He laughs ironically.

"Why do you Rossi women keep threatening me? First Carly, now you. I'm not going to hurt her, ever. I know what my reputation is and let me tell you, I'm a different person than I was a year ago. I cleaned up, went to college. Yeah, I had a bad streak from February to July, but it was situational and broke my sobriety. Sydney is one of five people that I will never hurt. There are three more, by the way, that I won't hurt unless necessary."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"They were in my way those six months. Wouldn't seriously look for Syd, pretty sure you would've hurt them too…anyway, it wasn't physical. Just yelled a bit, then was _real _smug when I ended up being right."

"You knew she was in Re-Education?" He dated her and _knew_ where she'd end up?

"Yes. She's been afraid of it since the first time I met her. We'd've never been caught if…look, I asked if she wanted to leave, to run away, she said no. Before that she'd had the chance to go, but she stayed. This wasn't just my decision, it was hers too. Compulsion doesn't work on witches. Expect Syd's car in soon, it's a springtime yellow Mustang. Here's Syd."

"Hi again mom."

"Hi."

"I was in the other room while the two of you talked…he didn't jump around in subject matter too much, did he?"

"A bit." She sighs, but doesn't elaborate.

"I would've testified for you. Dad didn't have any allies in the Justice System."

"I…thank you."

"We'll find Zoe. I promise. Love you."

"Love you too baby."

"Come down soon, bye."

"Bye."

**CPOV**

Marcus twirls a set of car keys in his hands as he walks into the kitchen. "Today or tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

"Hope that's because you're tired."

"It is." Mom comes down the stairs and hands me back my phone.

"She's married."

"Yeah. We thought she should tell you." Mom sighs and pins us with a hard stare.

"What else aren't you two telling me?"

**Well, that's that. I'm so relieved I could remember it or I could've been in trouble! Hope you guys enjoy, happy holidays!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	10. Alfred Adler

**Hope everyone had fun over the holidays! New Year's Eve is next! Then school :(. A contest is going on right now to win a signed copy of The Ruby Circle. Also, if anyone noticed, I changed Christine's name to Deborah, because Richelle Mead said that was her name. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter, some things will **_**definitely**_** be revealed. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"Follow your heart, but take your brain with you."–Alfred Adler

**CPOV**

Mom's question has me freezing. I glance at Marcus in an attempt to gauge whether or not he'll tattle on my secret. He just shoves his hands into his pockets with a grin. "Nothing really. We're trying to find Zoe, thought we could stop by on our way." Mom hums and eyes us before relenting.

"Fine. Go on up to bed then."

"We have something to do in the morning, we should be back around three." Mom eyes us again before motioning us up. I nod a goodnight to Marcus before disappearing into my room. Mom went all out. Not only is the room my favorite color but there's a new bed, nightstands, dresser, and bookshelves. Some of the shelves contain books while others contain items I've collected over the years. Butterflies, coins, Lego towers, and CDs are only a few of the items that litter the bookless shelves. Shaking off today, I climb under the covers fully dressed and allow myself to drift off.

* * *

><p>Marcus stands above me and I have to squint through the morning light to see him clearly. "What are you doing in my room?"<p>

"Waking you. It's nearly eight and we should get going if we want to be back by three."

"It's twenty five minutes." Marcus just disappears and I groan before hauling myself out of bed and to the door. Closing it, I look through the dresser to see if there're any clothes in it. Mom, as it turns out, is very prepared. Slipping into shorts and a t-shirt, I pull on my shoes and dash down the stairs. "Ready." Marcus hands me coffee before taking the keys.

"I hope you know we aren't actually going to Salt Lake."

"I…not for the police, no, but I do want to go." Marcus looks at me for a moment before nodding.

"Okay." I scribble out a note to mom letting her know we've taken an early start before following Marcus out the door.

"I drive." I say as I snatch the keys from Marcus' hands. We pull out of the driveway and Marcus starts the GPS before we take off. It only takes ten minutes to get there and when we do I find myself frozen. Ice drips down my spine and curls at its base, effectively paralyzing me. "I–I can't."

"You _can_, but you're still afraid."

"How could I not be?"

"You told Sydney."

"Because she was the only one I could tell."

"Your mom would have listened." Something about his sentence sparks in my mind.

"When people lie they forgo the use of contractions." Marcus bites his lip and laughs.

"Sydney rubs off far too easily." A grin flits across my face before it's gone again.

"They won't believe me."

"Use as many contractions as possible. In all seriousness, they're required to believe you."

"There's no evidence Marcus. It was three years ago. They have _nothing_ but my word."

"And Keith's. He'll admit to it. He _admitted_ to it. I don't know what he admitted to exactly, but he said he did it." I shut my eyes tightly and clench the steering wheel.

"I can't. I can't. I can't." Pushing the heel of my palms into my eyes I guard against the tears. Marcus sighs and peels my hands away.

"Look at me."–I turn, but he's blurry through my tears.–"You don't have to. It is your choice. We can go right now to Salt Lake and pretend like we never came here." I take a shuddering breath as the tears disappear. Marcus is right. We could leave and act like I wasn't about to turn Keith in. We could pretend like I was never hurt. Never afraid. I could run. I could continue doing what I've been doing, warning people and pretending I'm strong. Telling people how to overcome it, but lying about the fact that _I've_ overcome it. Or we could go in. I could spill my innermost secret and maybe it'll help, maybe it won't, but I'd've at least tried.

"No. No, we should go in." I turn the car off and give Marcus the keys in case I try to run back to the car. The station is cold and I wish I'd brought a jacket. An officer directs me to sit in front of one of the various desks while he grabs someone still on duty. Marcus stands beside my chair and when a new officer sits across from me, I can't help but wiggle my hand into his.

"Do you have a crime to report or questions?"

"Crime." The officer nods and pulls out a stack of papers.

"What kind of crime?"

"Uh…assault. Sexual." I seem to have lost the ability to speak more than one word at a time.

"Okay. To you or another person?"

"Me. Years ago." A bit better, two words in a sentence. He flips through the stack until he finds the right page and slips it on top.

"What form of sexual assault?" I swallow heavily and can feel myself beginning to tremble. Marcus squeezes my hand reassuringly.

"Rape." I expect Marcus' hand to go slack or that he'll step away, he doesn't. If anything, he moves closer.

"Was it a single person or multiple? And do you know them?"

"Single. Yes. He was my father's intern." The officer continues to fill out the form.

"His name?"

"Keith Darnell. It was three years ago…he doesn't live here anymore."

"How old were you when it occurred?"

"Eighteen. Both of us." The last part comes out as a whisper.

"Where did it occur?"

"His car. Look, my father set us up. My sisters and I hated Keith, but what my father wants, he gets." It's too much information and my trembling gets worse.

"Your name?"

"Carly Sage…or, really it's Carly Rossi now. My parents got divorced, but my name at the time was..." I cut myself off before I begin rambling. Marcus edges closer again and I lean my head on his arm.

"Does anyone else know of this crime?"

"My younger sister and this guy…and the offender, but that wasn't the question."

"I'll need both your sister's name and his."

"Sydney S…Ivashkov and Marcus Finch."

"Different last names?"

"She got married."

"Her age at the time of crime and now."

"Fifteen, nineteen."

"Thank you. I'll need a statement about the crime, for that we can go into one of the offices."

"Do…I have to go alone?"

"No." The officer leads Marcus and I to the office and I find that I'm leaning on him for support to walk.

LINE

Slouching in the passenger seat of the car, I find myself completely drained. "That. Was so much worse than I'd expected." Marcus grimaces and starts the car.

"Sorry." I shrug and peel my hands away from my face to glance at him.

"Let's just get to Salt Lake before I completely pass out." He doesn't respond other than pulling out of the lot and starting up the GPS. Sitting up a bit, I stare at the passing scenery as we drive.

"…I'm tackling your father while you take Zoe, then we run." I only catch the last end of Marcus' statement.

"What?"

"If we see them…and I might throw in a good punch or two."

"And get arrested, then we'd be in trouble." The rest of the ride is made in silence, but every so often Marcus'll reach out and take my hand. The ride is quicker than I remembered and we're in the streets of my hometown before I realize it. We wander the city aimlessly and I take in the, most likely, last sights I'll ever get of the city. Marcus suddenly stiffens and yanks me against the side of a building. "Ow!"

"See someone familiar?" Rubbing my arm, I lean out over the sidewalk and spot a tall, blonde haired figure. If his face was unrecognizable, his gait is not. Rigid and ram-rod straight. Jared Sage. Straining myself a little further I spot Zoe. Her hair is shorter than it used to be and her face is set into the same ever-present condescending look of our father, but it's definitely her. "Think before you move."

"I thought you said take Zoe while you tackled Jared."

"I did, but…"–Marcus moves so he's blocking my view.–"We have to be smart about this. We tail them until they're alone, then pounce. A little magic might help. Sleeping spell perhaps?" I laugh.

"A sleeping spell would knock you out too. Basically any incapacitating spell affects everyone in front of me, and if you aren't in front of me then Jared should already be incapacitated." Marcus growls and looks over his shoulder.

"I'm going to pretend to kiss you, because they're nearly on top of us." Before I can react, Marcus is pressed firmly against me and his head is lowered so we're almost touching.

"He's so stupid to come here."

"Last place we'd look." We're sharing breaths, if either of us leans forward an inch we'd be kissing. The thought sends a zing of thrill through me and I struggle to push it down. Turning my head slightly, I watch our query disappears down the road.

"They're gone." Marcus backs away and nearly stumbles into someone.

"Shall we?" He offers his arm and I shove him gently. We follow Jared and Zoe, but are careful to keep at least ten people between us at all times. "For god's sake, don't let our phones ring when we're almost upon them." It takes all I have not to laugh. They, finally, slip into an alleyway and we pounce. Fire lights up my palms and, while I meant that I wasn't as strong as Sydney, I hold it as it begins to glow white.

"You! And Carly. You're just like your sister." My lip curls at Jared's words.

"Pleased. That mean I'm not like you." I send the fire flying so it lights up several things around them. It's enough to deter them from running the opposite direction. Zoe jumps and looks around skittishly.

"Sydney was corrupted by evil creatures of the night." I roll my eyes at Zoe's frantic words.

"Oh? And torture was the easiest way to change her mind?"–I bark a laugh.–"You're all the same. Punish with impunity those who disagree. You can't _torture_ someone out of love. Besides, are you Alchemists seriously stupid enough to believe he wouldn't find her?"

"She was hidden! They used evil magic to find her!" I stare at Zoe disbelievingly.

"No. They used the army of people who stand behind Syd to find her. In case you hadn't guessed, Marcus and I are some of her biggest supporters."

"Re-Education was hidden. You know no one who went before Sydney." Zoe boasts and I send another fire ball towards them, this time it completely blocks off the escape route behind them.

"I. Knew. Keith." Zoe bites her lip and her eyes widen.

"He would never…"

"That place broke his mind. Or did you not see him afterwards?" Zoe gulps and looks between Jared and us.

"Let us by child." I laugh humorlessly. Same old dad.

"Can I tackle him now?"

"No. Get behind me. Thanks for the idea." Gathering as much energy as I can, I cast a simple sleeping spell and extinguish the fire.

"Damn."

"I realized the flaw in our thinking as soon as we cornered them. The only way to get them to comply is to knock 'em out. You didn't have to touch them. It would've complicated things. Grab her. Let's go." Marcus hurries forward and grabs Zoe before hurrying back to me. My vision swims and I force myself to stay upright until we get to the car. Collapsing inside of it I look at Marcus. "Sugar. Now."

"That isn't the last we'll see of Jared Sage."

"No. It isn't."

**Longest chapter yet! *Does little happy dance* Anyone get any interesting books for Christmas or Hanukah? I read Snow Like Ashes, which was **_**amazing**_**! And also got the Hybrid Trilogy by Kat Zhang.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	11. Mahatma Ghandi

**Happy New Year's! Sara Raasch (author of 'Snow Like Ashes') is releasing a snippet from her next book 'Ice Like Fire' at midnight! Disclaimer: I do not own the Bloodlines series or the affiliated characters…well I **_**own**_** the series, I just didn't write it. I also don't own Starbucks or McDonalds.**

'The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.'–Mahatma Ghandi

**MPOV**

It's a quiet ride back to Deborah's place since both Zoe and Carly are out like lights. I did heed Carly's request to get sugar and went through a Starbuck's drive-thru as well as a McDonald's one. The smell of the food, no matter how greasy, makes my mouth water. It's a kind reminder that I skipped breakfast and, as a matter of fact, Carly did too. Shaking my head with a slight smile, I pull into the driveway and dash up to the front door. Deborah opens it and looks to the car. "Where…"

"She's sleeping. And so is Zoe." Her mouth drops and a shaky 'oh' escapes. Her hand flits about her mouth before falling to her chest and I can't tell if she's about to cry or yell. "Neither are hurt. I just need help."

"I can get Zoe." Deborah brushes past me and I follow with only a small pause. While Deborah works on getting Zoe out, I grab Carly and carry her to the couch inside. Going back out, I grab the food and deliver it to the coffee table. Sitting by Carly's knee, I wonder if I truly have to wake her or if the food can wait. My decision is made for me when she stirs and blinks up at me.

"Hey."

"Hi…what's that smell?"

"McDonalds or Starbucks…probably the former since it's a cold drink." Carly's laugh is small, but it's a laugh none the less. My chest loosens and I rub it, unaware that it'd been tight to begin with. "Here…" I help her sit up and hand her the drink before unwrapping the food. All pure sugar. "I wasn't sure what you meant exactly so I just one of everything." Carly's mouth drops and she stares at the food I've laid out. It ranges from pie to ice cream.

"Oh. My. God. Marcus, wha..."–She turns to stare at me, then the food again.–"What?"

"Just eat. I'm going to help your mom set Zoe up."

"Try tying her up." Rolling my eyes I can't resist kissing her temple gently before standing and going upstairs.

**CPOV**

I'm left in shock for a few minutes after Marcus leaves. Did he just…blowing out roughly, I take another sip of the drink he bought from Starbucks. Setting it aside, I grab the pie he bought and gobble it down before going for a cookie. Mom comes down about half way through it and raises her brows. "Uh-huh. Saying goodbye? Cute. No way you'd be eating all that sugar if you hadn't run yourself dry with magic."

"We needed to get her. I promise that we'll let her go if she can't see reason, I can't just force her to stay otherwise I'd be no better than the people I'm trying to save her from."

"We!" Marcus calls down and I shake my head.

"Why does it matter so much that you get her?"

"Because Sydney found the key to why we're witches. And…Zoe is going get it. When the Alchemists find out, and it is a _when_, she'll be put in Re-Education. There isn't one in America anymore mom. _Dad_ had her. That isn't good and while, yes, Sydney is right about needing her away from him, her methods aren't." Mom softens and comes to sit beside me.

"Sydney's had a rough time thus far. Especially this past year or two. She has a reason to use methods that are less-than what your morals tell you is right."

"You're saying, that because she was in Re-Education, she has a reason to kidnap people?"

"No. I'm saying that for the past few months she's only gotten the worst treatment the Alchemists can provide. They've tortured and deprived her. She no longer _has_ much of a moral code when it comes to them…Marcus said that Zoe tricked Sydney into Re-Education. She has no reason to care."

"But she _does_! I saw it. Mom, this is _Sydney_ for god's sake, not some Alchemist."

"Carly. She's changed. A lot. And I'm betting she's even more changed now." I shake my head and bark a humorless laugh.

"She's still Sydney." Marcus comes down just then and looks between mom and me.

"Am I interrupting?"

"No. Tell mom that it's still Sydney. She's still herself. She…just had a lapse of judgment when it came to methods." Marcus' expression changes into something of pity.

"Carly, she's not the sister you knew three years ago. She's not the girl you met the other day at Court. She's good at hiding what she feels. The only people who can crack through her exterior are…well, her surrogate family. The one she made. The one that doesn't give a damn what she does, because they trust her and aren't going to turn her in. No, that wasn't a barb at any of you so don't talk. You don't know this Sydney, fine. Let me fill in the blanks for you. She doesn't trust, she uses reason above all else, her moral code was intact before Re-Education and is intact now. She doesn't think highly of the Alchemists and knows what they're capable of, so yes, she is willing to kidnap one of them. She's been through hell, but she can think clearly. And honestly, that's all that matters." I stare at him and wonder if he's in love with Syd.

"A-are you two…? Were you…?" Marcus grins slightly and shakes his head.

"No. She's been enamored by Adrian since before I met her. It was quite hilarious to watch her deny it as long as possible." I nod, oddly reassured, and continue eating. Marcus sits and we're all quiet as I finish off the cinnamon bun. Sipping the drink from Starbucks I lean back, ready to go over what we'll do when Jared comes. I open my mouth to begin the conversation, but instead of words a scream ricochets through the silence.

**Duh, duh, duh! I love cliff-hangers :) So, I hope everyone enjoys the rest of winter break however long it may be. Happy New Years!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	12. Oscar Wilde

**Hello everyone! Ruby Circle teaser trailers are starting Tuesday for the US and Wednesday for AUS. It's almost here, EEEPPP! Alright, fangirling over. Disclaimer: I did not write the Bloodlines books and I do not own the affiliated characters.**

'To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."–Oscar Wilde

**CPOV**

Marcus and mom jump to their feet and I'm slow to follow, still lethargic from my magic use. We rush upstairs and mom leads us to Zoe's room. My jaw drops when I see her predicament. She's tied to the bed at her wrists and ankles and is thrashing about. "I wasn't serious when I said tie her up. You know that, right?...never mind. That was a stupid question."

"Sure. I don't remember the conversation, but sure."–Marcus looks from me to mom.–"Who wants to get near enough to untie her?"

"I'll do it." Mom moves forward and murmurs something. The knots untie, but Zoe keeps thrashing, right over the edge of the bed. Stunned, she lies still. "Hi baby." Zoe cranes her neck around.

"Mom?!" Mom offers her hand to Zoe who ignores it and stands on her own. Zoe looks at Marcus, but all too quickly her eyes skip over to the door. Marcus shuts it and leans in the middle of it.

"Let us explain Zoe. You can leave after that if you want, but let us explain first. We can do it in here with the door guarded, or you can calm down and we can do it in the living room. Your choice."

"I'll stay here thanks." She's short with her words and crosses her arms for effect. I nod and pull out my phone. Sydney answers on the first ring.

"We have Zoe."–Something clatters to the ground and I wince.–"I hope you weren't holding something."

"No, no. Adrian is…doing something with our utensils. I think he's practicing his telekinesis. Adrian, Adrian, _not_ _with a plate_. Sorry. Zoe…good."

"I think it would be better if you explained things."

"She hates me. Maybe not for loving a Moroi, but for escaping 'help' and still loving a Moroi. I choose him over the Alchemists and she will never forgive me for that."

"Wow. You been reading psychology books?"

"Not psychology. There's not much else I can do here other than read and practice magic…though I did help with the new security system."

"That's gonna bite you in the ass." Sydney makes a noncommittal noise before sighing.

"Put me on speaker. I'll stick around while you explain."

"Thanks."–I set the phone down on speaker before turning to Zoe.–"The Alchemists want to kill all Moroi, Dhampir, and Strigoi."

"Wow. That was a great bombshell to drop at the beginning." I glare at Marcus.

"Shut up. Moroi use magic _from_ the earth. Isn't that good? Dhampirs are practically human. Strigoi…yeah, we could do without those. Are you so ready to condemn a race that has a history 90% less violent than the human race's history? The Alchemists are not good people Zoe…ironic maybe, but not good."

"Ironic!?" Zoe's voice reaches a screech.

"Evil creatures of the night living on beautiful college-like campuses? Gardens and stuff. Guardians of the light live in underground bunkers. Concrete and steel. Ironic. As I was saying, Alchemists have done some pretty bad things."

"How would you know? You left." I look at Zoe sadly.

"For a reason. This wasn't how I wanted this to happen, but you won't believe without first case proof."

"The Alchemists are locking up Moroi and Dhampirs in cages in Athens, Greece. They're experimenting on some to see if they can turn them human. Others, just because." My stomach rolls with horror.

"Oh my god. Marcus…" Zoe still looks stubborn.

"You could make that up."

"Hey, Zoe. Remember Keith Darnell?" I hate this. So much. Marcus comes to stand beside me while still managing to hover protectively by the door. "He committed a crime. Rape." Mom puts it together before Zoe does and a breathy gasp leaves her.

"To who?"

"Me." My body shakes, almost convulsively, for a second or two before calming down. "The Alchemists aren't good people."

"Was it you who stabbed out his eye?"

"No."–Sydney pipes in, scaring me, I'd forgotten she was listening.–"I hired someone to do that through Abe Mazur. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah. So you're a bad person."

"Sort of. Is it truly bad if done in the defense of another? Sure it was later, but it wasn't done because I thought 'hey he doesn't need an eye', but because I knew what he'd done. I thought it would prevent him from doing it again."

"Good god. All three of you…"

"Don't forget about me." Adrian shouts through the phone and my stomach drops. He wasn't suppose to hear that.

"It's okay Carly. He won't tell." Sydney reassures.

"You are leaving out a part, sneaky girl." Adrian responds. Sydney does something and Adrian hisses between his teeth.

"Anyway. He won't tell anyone. He's a good guy. Zoe is the focus though, 'member?" I shake my head to clear it and turn to Zoe.

"Proof enough?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Jared wouldn't have believed her over Keith. He made them date and if Keith said something, he'd believe it. He always wanted a son."

"Sort of like Henry the Fifth, but he didn't divorce, behead, or make a new religion to get rid of you."

"That is an entirely inaccurate representation of Henry the Fifth's attempts to rid himself of wives!" Sydney's cry of outrage makes Marcus laugh.

"Zoe." I state firmly.

"What? What is the point of turning me against my people?"

"There's going to be a war and we don't want you at the center. Plus, you belong to them, you have to do whatever they say, even if it goes against your conscience. They'll be watching, you especially because of Syd and I. Come _on_. Be reasonable Zoe. You can't choose them without getting killed or put in Re-Ed."

"I don't believe you."

**Alright! That's that. I'm in kind of a rush at the moment, so I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors. Have a nice rest of break and weekend!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	13. Marcus Aurelius

**Hello all! So school's started back up where I am and the teachers are **_**ruthless**_** when giving homework. I'd been working for four hours before I posted this…would've been sooner, but my sister had a thing right after school and we didn't get back until 5. Today's quote fits well with the chapter, so it might give you insight if you read it. Anyone see the first teaser trailer? It was amazing! Can't wait until 2/10! Disclaimer: I didn't write the Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"I, who have never willfully pained another, have no business to pain myself."–Marcus Aurelius

**CPOV**

I sit on my bed and try not to feel too upset about Zoe's outright denial. I look up when Marcus enters and shuts the door. He sits next to me on the bed and sighs. "She'll come around you know. She trusts you, you're her sister." I know he's trying to give me hope, but thus far it isn't working.

"She _doesn't _trust me though. I left her three years ago and kidnapped her earlier today."

"She has no right! It's your life. It was your decision and she doesn't need to know your reasoning." Marcus seems disgruntled and indignant on my behalf. I find it both incredibly adorable and disarming.

"I'm her sister. I'm supposed to be there for her. And Syd. I should've been there for them. I mean, if I was, would I have been able to keep Zoe here? Or help spring Syd?"

"You did help spring Sydney."

"More. I mean more than talking to Keith."

"What you did took guts Carly. Sydney knows that."

"I wanted to do more!" To my utter and complete surprise, I begin crying. I didn't know I had any tears in me. I rarely cry and it's never over trivial things such as helping. Maybe, it's the stress from the day finally getting to me

"Hey, hey. Carls, it isn't your fault any of this happened. Aw, Carls…c'mere."–Marcus pulls me to him and lies back after wrapping an arm around me.–"It's not your fault. You did what you had to do to stay healthy. To _live_. You made a life for yourself. A healthy one that you're proud of and happy living. You aren't to blame."

**MPOV**

Carly clutches my shirt tightly as she continues crying. Despite being a good looking guy, I'm nearly clueless when it comes to crying females. I _do_, however, know how to rouse a guilty soul. I tighten my hold on her and continue my attempts to soothe her. Staring up at the ceiling, I feel myself gathering courage. "I was stationed in Athens. I'd befriended a female Moroi, Chrissy. She and I hung out for a while, then one day she came crying to me. She yelled, I yelled back. She'd found out that the Alchemists had been kidnapping Moroi and putting them in cages. They would put the cages in the sun or inject the Moroi with a form of UV. I'd had no idea, but I was in Athens. I was threatened with Re-Ed and ran when I tried to help. I could've stayed and continued helping and would've ended up in Re-Ed, unhealthy, but I'd've helped."

"You wouldn't have just been unhealthy, you'd've been tortured." My lips split into a smile at Carly's defense of me.

"Bit of a hypocrite, eh?"

"Its…"

"Not the same? Yes, it is Carly. Stay and help at the cost of personal health or leave and be happy. Sometimes the hardest decision is walking away. You came back for Syd and Zoe. That's important…I can always call Syd up and have her go all psych and meaning of life on you if you don't believe me." Carly laughs in response.

"No, no. That isn't necessary, but I don't get how you see talking to my sister as a punishment."

"She can go crazy psych babble in an instant. Not fun."–Carly laughs again and I relax a bit.–"You can always talk to her because you want to of course. No strings other than sisterly bonds." I tease.

"Nah. This is nice." We both go silent after that. The silence is comfortable, even as our breathing fills up the room. I don't know how long it is before I decide to talk again.

"I'd like to go out with you again if you'd like." I mentally smack myself. There are other words that convey desire other than like. Nice one Marcus.

"That'd be nice." Carly's voice is so soft that I almost miss it. Just like that. No requirements, no bizarre acts of trust, just a response.

"Ok."

**CPOV**

Marcus departed from my room shortly after asking me out and I've been unable to sleep since. I think back on what he told me of his friend Chrissy. Is it so similar to what I'd done? Maybe. That doesn't mean it's right though. Standing, I begin pacing. The concept of right and wrong is relative. Wrinkling my nose, I grab my phone and call Sydney. It seems to be my go-to plan when I can't do things on my own. "Syd, look, I know you probably just woke up, but we need to talk."

"Okay. I've actually been up since five."

"Oh. Anyway. I don't care if you hate me for leaving all those years ago because I have enough guilt without you piling it on. I need to get this out, because I need to forgive myself. I'd like it if you forgave me too, but I don't need it because Marcus is right. Sometimes walking away is the best thing to do. So…yeah."

"I never hated you. I've always known why you left. The only time I've ever come close to hating you is when I realized you were living _my_ dream of going to college and I was stuck with dad and Zoe and mom. I didn't hate you then, I just envied you. You're my sister, I could never hate you."

"Oh…okay then."

"Okay then."–Sydney laughs back.–"You sound different. Happier."

"I feel happier. I think I needed to get everything off my chest to the people I loved most."

"Oooh, should I expect a wedding invitation for Mr. and Mrs. Finch soon?"

"Shut up! That's not what I meant. He already knew, he took me to the police to report Keith. He was kind about it. He cares, but not because he's revolted by the fact I was a victim, but because he's worried about me and because Keith revolts him." Sydney is silent on the line for so long after I confess that I worry the call dropped.

"Carls, you're in love with him."

"What?! No I'm not!" Sydney just laughs.

"Yes. You are. I was the same way with Adrian. He was my best friend and I denied my feelings for him until…they just crashed into me like a Lippisch P.13a and I knew that…"

"You couldn't go to Mexico no matter how much safer it was."

"Yeah." She's quiet, but unashamed and I shake my head.

"You are a force of nature Sydney Ivashkov."

"You will be too. Give Marcus a chance, he's a good guy."

"I'll concede to the last point."

"Okay. I reserve 'I told you so' rights. Get some sleep, goodnight. Love you."

'Good morning, love you." We hang up and I curl up on the bed. Is she right? _Am_ I in love with Marcus?

**Sorry about the spazzy POV changes. I wanted to get both Marcus and Carly's feelings and thoughts into this chapter. Again, sorry for the delay. Hope everyone had a good break. Thoughts on Bloodlines trailer?**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	14. Lil' Wayne

**Ugh, so tired after this first week back at school. Hopefully it'll go by fast until MLK Day. On another note, I got Trivia Crack this past week and am addicted to it! 3 Year anniversary for 'The Fault in Our Stars'! Disclaimer: I did not write the Bloodlines series, or the affiliated characters.**

"You can love me or hate me. I swear it won't break me."–Lil' Wayne

**CPOV**

Blinking slowly against the morning light, I turn towards my phone and groan at the time. It's only eight. My college classes are mostly in the afternoon for a reason, I am _so_ not a morning person. Slipping out of bed I laugh when I realize that I hadn't changed into pj's last night. I change quickly and head downstairs. Mom is already drinking coffee and reading the news. "Morning Carly, coffee's on the pot and bacon-biscuit sandwiches near the stove."

"Thanks." I grab coffee and as sandwich before sitting next to mom. She folds her news paper and looks squarely at me.

"Why didn't you tell me? About Keith I mean."

"I knew what you meant. Because, he said it was my fault. That no one would believe me…and dad." Mom sighs at my last comment.

"Your father has never been the best parent. Too strict, too much shouting."

"You would've told him, you'd've had to. Syd was the only person I told."

"Why her?"

"Because she would've seen the difference. She took one of his eyes. It wasn't a Strigoi attack, she asked a Moroi named Abe Mazur to take it as revenge."

"Oh Carly…come to the garage with me today. We can make up for lost time." Mom looks so hopeful that I consent. I wonder back upstairs to change into jeans instead of shorts and hesitate in front of Marcus' door. Steeling myself, I knock softly and wait for an answer. The door opens and Marcus' gaze peruses over me.

"Good morning, Carly."

"Morning. Can you stay with Zoe today? Mom and I are going out for a little while."

"Okay." He yawns before reaching into the room for something and coming out. I step back, startled. He's only in a pair of flannel pants, his shirt is grasped in his left hand.

"I–uh…I'm going now." As I'm walking away, I hear Marcus laugh and head downstairs.

* * *

><p>I haven't really done anything since we've gotten to the garage other than talk to mom. She never asks any heave questions, just menial things. Mom finishes up with the car she's working on and stands. "Let's go grab dinner."<p>

**MPOV**

Zoe's been pacing back and forth since she woke up and I'm nearly asleep from watching her. "Sit down kid."

"No." Running my hands through my hair, I go over Carly's reaction to me for about the hundredth time. Zoe finally sits and begins glaring at me. "You can't keep me here."

"You have yet to ask to leave."

"I want to leave." I screw my mouth up and sigh at her words.

"Of course you do. Wait until your sister and mother come home, then you leave."

"They're _not_ my family." Zoe snarls and I roll my eyes. Leaning back in my chair I sigh again. Lacing my fingers together I watch as Zoe jumps up and begins pacing again. The front door opens and Zoe freezes.

"What's going on guy?"

"Zoe is ready to leave."

"Oh…I'll drop her off." Deborah says softly. Zoe seems to relax as she dashes to her mother. Carly comes into the living room and lays out on the couch. She watches me with hooded eyes as her mom and Zoe leave.

"Was it that bad?"

"Oh yeah, she's been pacing and freaking out all day. How're you?"

"Okay. We didn't really do much other than talk. Mom worked on the car and I just handed her tools."

"So, that date of ours…I was thinking we should go to dinner."

"Tonight?"

"Nah, tomorrow." Carly's mouth drops at my nonchalant tone.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. You pick the restaurant."

**Okay, so this is something of a filler chapter. Wasn't really sure where I was planning on going with it since I figured the characters needed a break before I go into the next event. It's also a really short filler chapter.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	15. Mary Pickford

**Eeek! Second Ruby Circle trailer is out! I can't wait for Feb 10****th****! Anyone else getting icy weather that causes delays/closings? Anywho…disclaimer: I didn't write Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"What we call failure is not the falling down, it's the staying down."–Mary Pickford

**CPOV**

Marcus and I sit in silence as we wait for mom to return. I jump at nearly every sound, while Marcus stays perfectly stiff. We've been waiting nearly two hours. I get tenser every moment mom doesn't arrive home. Salt Lake is only twenty-five minutes away. She should've been back over an hour ago. A phone rings somewhere in the house and I let out a small screech. Marcus pulls his phone from his pocket and answers. "Hello? Whoa, whoa. Syd, slow down."–He stands and begins pacing.–"Shit Syd…I…I'm so sorry. What can I…yeah. Sure. Tell Adrian I'm sorry. Okay. Bye Syd."

"What is it?"

"Jill, they found her. She's in pretty terrible condition though…" The phone rings again, but when Marcus shows me his screen, it's blank. I scramble around until I find my own. In neat lettering, the top of my screen spells out 'Jared'.

"Father."

"Where is Zoe?"

"What do you mean where's Zoe? Mom left to drop her off two hours ago…they never showed up?"

"No. Tell me, where she is."

"I don't know. I don't know where either of them are." Father grunts before hanging up. I look to Marcus, stunned. "We have a more immediate problem than Jill. Mom and Zoe are missing."

"Can't you just do a locator spell?"

"I _told_ you, I'm not as strong as Sydney and I'm pretty sure she's using all her magic on Jill."

"Car wreck?"

"Let's go find out." I suggest as I grab a jacket and follow Marcus out to the car. By the time we pull out of the driveway, I'm shaking like a leaf. A million different possibilities race through my mind like lightning. Were they in a car crash? Why haven't they called? And the scariest one, Strigoi or Alchemists.

"Call them Carly."

I dial mom's number first and it goes straight to voicemail. I try Zoe next to no avail. "Dammit. Dammit. Dammit!" I smack the car door with the palm of my hand. Marcus doesn't even glance over as I dial again. Still no answer and I hang up before wiping at my eyes.

"I'm sure they're fine."

"Let's just keep going."

Marcus goes silent and continues driving. We drive the route to and from Salt Lake five times, but there's no sign of Zoe, mom, or the car. By the time we get to the house, I'm full on crying. Tears, no sound, just like I learned after Keith.

"I'm calling Sydney."

I just nod and flop onto the couch. Marcus moves into the other room and talks quietly into the phone. I feel my eyelids growing heavy and cave to the idea of sleep.

**MPOV**

When I hear Carly's breathing deepen I move back into the living room. Sydney's voice fades into static when I see the tear streaks on Carly's face and the puffiness of her eyes. "Marcus…Marcus are you listening?"

"I'm sorry."

"Carly, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Well…I talked to her and I know you. Adrian, Christian, Eddie, Mikhail, and a few others made a bet about when you two'd hook up."

"Is Adrian winning?"

"Why'd you say that?"

"Because he has _you_ on his side…wait, why are we talking about this?"

"Sorry. I'll look, but it's going to take a few hours. I've been working on Jill. I need to recharge."

"Carly said you would."

"Yeah…and yes, Adrian is winning. I'll see if I can get Sonya on it with spirit."

Sydney hangs up after the last comment without so much as a goodbye. Sitting in a chair I sigh. Carly moves in her sleep, but doesn't wake. I feel a bit of my hyperactivity kick in. The rebel leader and Alchemist within me need to do something other than sit around and wait.

**Okay, another **_**really**_** short one. I didn't feel like having a page break before a big revelation. I like cliffhangers, but not that much. :)**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	16. Amber Margajero

**Hello all! Doing something a bit different this chapter, tell me if you guys like it or if I should stick to how I regularly write it. Hope everyone has a good MLK day. Disclaimer: I did not write the Bloodlines series or the affiliated characters.**

"It's just a shock. You go from one day everything being OK to your life being upside down."–Amber Margarejo

**Sydney's POV**

Rubbing my mouth, I eye Adrian and wonder how far into his REM cycle he is. We've been at the hospital for nearly eight hours and each of us–Adrian, Sonya, Lissa, Nina, Mrs. T, and I–have been working in shifts to heal her and even still she's in rough condition. Marcus sounded near frantic on the phone and if I'm honest with myself, I'm worried too. Sighing, I finish off my slice of pie and stand. I touch Adrian's hand softly before I slip out the door. I all but stumble down the hallway to get to the waiting room. "Ms. T, can we talk?"

"Sure Sydney. Why don't we go into the hallway?" I feel guilty for making her get up, but follow her out anyway. "What's up Syd?"

"Zoe and my mom are missing. Carly is freaking out, which is freaking Marcus out. I don't have the materials for a locating spell, I was hoping you might."

Ms. T pins me with a hard stare. "You are exhausted. You are weak. You are undoubtedly malnourished and have low blood sugar. I cannot, in good conscious, allow you to do this spell."

"This is my mother and sister we're talking about. We knew from the beginning that there was no chance we'd locate Jill, but I still have a chance of finding them. Mom has magic."

Ms. T sighs heavily. "At least tell Adrian what you're doing." I feel indignation and shock roll through me at her words.

"No! He's _exhausted_ and the high from spirit has been gone for hours so he'll either be hallucinating or manic-depressive."

"Isn't he clinically manic-depressive?"

"Seriously? That…that isn't even valid. You know, you _know_ it's the spirit."

"I disagree with your decision to do the location spell now. Wait a few more hours, sleep a bit, eat some more, then try."

"I can't. Now, I can either do this with your help or without it…but I'm doing it now."

She throws her hands into the air. "Fine. Fine; my bags are in my car. The purple one has what you need." Ms. T hands me her car keys.

"Thank you." I rush out of the hospital and to Adrian and I's apartment. Unlocking the car I grab the bag and slam the door, only to be confronted by Wesley Drozdov. Adrian had filled me in that he was one of the Moroi who'd attacked me before. "I do recall the last time you cornered me. If you don't, I can always remind you."

Wesley sneers. "You had Christian and Adrian last time. Now, how about a little blood?"

I can't help the fear that slides down my spine like ice. My fear sparks something inside me and I feel the air rush out of my fingertips. Wesley goes flying and I bite my lip. I hadn't meant to do that. I weaken even further and move as quickly as I can back to the hospital. Once I get back to Jill's room, I set up on one of the nightstands. Rubbing my hands together I jump when someone touches my shoulder. Ms. T stands there and offers me a pop-tart. I scarf it down before getting to work.

Going into the trance-like space, I see mom and Zoe take shape inside the water. Zoe is sleeping in a seat and mom is next to her. I focus a little harder and the image zooms out. They're on a plane. 30,000 feet in the air. I search the plane for the ID number so I can give Carly and Marcus something, but my vision goes blurry and splotchy. I blink myself out of the spell and grunt.

"Well?"

"They're on a freaking plane. Zoe is sleeping and mom is…she's fine. I'm going to pass out…and maybe vomit…but I'm going pass out first."

"Okay." Ms. T comes over and lowers me out of the chair.

"This was a bad idea."

"I know. I'll grab OJ and some more sugary foods."

I moan and nod. This was a _really_ bad idea. Even when I first began learning, I have _never_ felt this awful.

"Why are you on the floor?"

Peeling an eye open I see Adrian standing over me. "Didn't listen. Found mom and Zoe."

"Oh Sydney." Adrian sits next to me and brushes some hair off my face.

"I had to."

"I know. It's who you inherently are. As much as I have a bleeding heart, I wouldn't have looked for Zoe if I were in your position."

"Liar."

"Should I have just left you lying on the floor? Seems like Adrian has it pretty well." Ms. T comments.

"Gimme." I reach for the food and drink in her arms. She ends up handing it to Adrian, who helps me sit up before handing over the OJ and pop-tarts. "This is going to taste awful."

Adrian nods as Ms. T slips out of the room. "You have this look on your face, like you're going to deliver bad news. What's up Syd?"

"I did something I shouldn't have."

"What?"

I take a long sip of OJ. "Wesley got to me when I was getting my ingredients. I'm tired and I just…he hit a pressure point. I blew him across the lot."

Adrian laughs to my surprise. "Finally! Somebody gave him an ass whooping!"

"Adrian."

"Sue me…now eat." Adrian hands me an unwrapped pop-tart and I take it with a sigh.

"I just…wish I had more new for Carly and Marcus. You're winning the bet by the way."

"Nice Syd."

I shrug and continue munching on the breakfast pastry. "I need to try again…tomorrow." I add after seeing Adrian's look.

"Good. Want me to call them or do you want to do it yourself?"

"Can you? I just want to sleep."

"Okay. C'mere." Adrian scoops me up and deposits me in the armchair he'd been sleeping in earlier. He pulls out his phone and covers me with a blanket before stepping out of the room.

**Adrian's POV**

"Hey Marcus. You and I, we need to have a heart to heart."

"Sure. What's up?"

"Why the _hell_ did you tell Syd about her mom and Zoe? Why in your right mind would you do that? You had to know that no matter what she said on the phone, that she'd look herself. You had to know that."

"O-okay…why are you telling me this?"

"Because she was exhausted! Because she did it anyway and it cost her."

"How?"

"Low blood sugar attack, nearly passed out, all that good stuff. Not to mention she got attacked in the parking lot."

"How is that my fault!" Marcus shouts into the phone.

"Because she was in the parking lot to get the ingredients to do the locating spell! That's why!"–I breathe heavily and attempt to calm down.–"I'm sorry. It's been a tough day."

"I heard. I'm sorry about Jill. She's a sweet girl."

"Yeah…um look, Zoe and mom are on a plane. Sydney's trying again tomorrow to get the plane's ID."

"Look, Adrian…she doesn't have to."

"Yes. She does. It's who she is. She won't give it up until she finds out exactly where they are."

"They won't be on a plane tomorrow."

"So it'll be easier for her to find them. Just…tell Carly. I need to be with Jill and Sydney."

"Okay. Talk to you tomorrow man."

"Or Sydney." I hang up and move back into Jill's room. Sydney's curled up and has the blanket wrapped tightly around her. Smiling slightly, I take the hardback chair and grab the bag from underneath it. Slipping out my sketchbook and a pencil, I begin drawing Jill and Sydney. As I draw, I thank my lucky stars that Aunt Tatiana's ghost has yet to show, despite my show of power to save Jill.

**Just a little insight on the other side of the story. How things are going with Jill and all. Also, I thought it might be a good idea to show how much it would take out of Sydney, but how she'd look for her family anyway. Well, like I said before, tell me if you guys think I should do this again or just stick to Marcus and Carly.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	17. Rocky Balboa

**Wow! I seriously need a better way to keep track of the days after 3-day weekends. I keep forgetting today's Wednesday! I was chilling, then looked at my phone and was kinda like 'What? It's Wednesday? I totally thought it was Tuesday." Anywho, anyone seen the latest Ruby Circle trailer? It's awesome! Also, it's the second to last one :(. Disclaimer: I did not write Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up."–Rocky Balboa

**CPOV**

When I wake, I'm still on the couch, but instead of being against the cushions, I'm against something relatively hard. Groaning, I attempt to move and end up being stuck. Looking down, I find an arm. "Marcus, get off." I mumble as I push his arm off from around my waist.

"Not happening." His arm snakes back around my waist and I feel his face press into my hair.

"I have to pee."

"Fine."

Sighing, I roll off the couch and into the bathroom. When I get back into the living room, Marcus is sitting up and running his hands through his hair. He looks up at me and runs his tongue over his bottom lip. My eyes are attracted by the movement and then decide they can't move to his eyes. "What's wrong Marcus?"

"I talked to Adrian before I fell asleep."

"You didn't wake me?"

"He was mad. Really, really mad."

"About what?" My eyes are still stuck on his lips.

"Hun, I feel a little like man meat here. My eyes are about 2.5 inches farther up my face."

"Sorry." I blush.

"It's fine. Syd looked for Zoe and your mom even though she'd been helping heal Jill. She reportedly had a low blood sugar attack and nearly passed out. Point of the matter, he yelled at me for it."

"But did she find them?...I'm assuming she's fine?"

"Yes to both. They were on a plane, Adrian said she was trying again when her strength returned."

"A plane?"

"Yeah. It had other passengers and they were fine, but Zoe was sleeping."

Something dawns on me and a release a string of profanities. Mom could have, very easily, kidnapped Zoe. They're related, so no one would think twice about letting a sleeping girl and her mother onto a plane. "She took Zoe. That's why we couldn't find the car."

"Probably. We are kind of stupid."

"It's illegal! I shouldn't have to suspect my mom of doing something illegal. If…if dad finds out, he won't hesitate to convict her."

"Carls, it won't come to that. I p…" The phone rings and cuts him off. He grabs it and answers. "Don't yell this time. Oh, Syd. Hi. Yeah, cool. Nope. We're on our way."

"Did she find them?"

"Moscow."

I all but groan. Of course they're in Russia. "Well, let's go then. I'll grab my bag."

Marcus nods and follows me up the stairs. We part at my room and I shove everything I unpacked back into my bag. Slipping my phone from the nightstand, I pull up Sydney's name and shoot her a text about help in Russia. It doesn't take long to get a response. _Go to Baia. Tell the Belikovs you're Rose's friend._ Shutting off the phone, I head downstairs to find Marcus already there. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Syd told me of a contact we could use if we needed help."

"Dimitri's family."

"I don't know."

"The Belikovs? That's Dimitri."

"Why not Adrian?"

"Because Adrian doesn't have family in Russia."

"Aren't they all Russian?"

"No. A lot of them are, but not all of them. Zoe, Deborah…remember? We need to go."

"Yeah. Let's get out of here."

**I apparently **_**really**_** liked commas today…the beginning few sentences are insane. Anywho! Another short one…I think I'm going to change them from being mostly a certain length to having each chapter work out to be whatever length. It's much easier that way.**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	18. Jim Rohn

**Hello all! Not much going on today other than National Readathon Day. Disclaimer: I did not write Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't, you will find an excuse."–Jim Rohn

**MPOV**

We land in Russia and get through customs and baggage before reaching the area to hail a taxi. People hold signs with names in various languages and it takes me about two seconds to spot one that I hadn't even known was going to be here. A man in a suit holds a sign reading _Marcus and Carly Sage_. I nudge Carly and point. "Well? Should we get into the strange vehicle with the strange man in this strange, foreign country?"

"Really Marcus? That's even a question you have to ask?"

"Right. Taksi!"

"You speak Russian?"

"You don't?" I lead Carly closer to the curb so we can call out easier.

"There was a sign, unless you can't read." A male voice comments from behind me. I turn and find a very…colorful man standing there. "Sydney didn't tell you." It isn't a question.

"Tell us what old man?"

The man just laughs. "Ah, you are so very much like my daughter. I am Abe Mazur. Welcome to Russia."

"You. You took out Keith's eye." Carly's voice is little more than a whisper. Abe arches his brow.

"No. My men did. Come. If you wish to find your mother and sister, I would suggest getting on the road to Baia."

"Why Baia?" I inquire.

"Because, it is a Dhampir community. The Strigoi do not enter it. Carly's family is in Moscow. Baia is close enough for you to rest for the night." We aren't given an option as Abe guides us along. When we reach the suited man he opens the door. When the door shuts, I look to Carly.

"Be ready to run."

"I think I know what to do Marcus."

"What's that?"

"Everything I didn't do last time."

And that is the end of that conversation. Abe and the suited man climb into the car and we're off.

**CPOV**

I think my comment about Keith put Marcus off a bit, but I concentrate on where we're going and the landmarks we pass. The sky turns dark shortly before we arrive in what I assume is Baia. The car stops in front of a two-story home and an old woman comes out the front door. Marcus helps me out of the car and goes to the woman.

"Vy Belikova?" Since I can't understand Russian, I have to listen to the inflection of his voice to realize he's asking something.

"Da."

"My druz'ya Rozy i Dimitriya."

"Ya znayu. Ya uvidel, chto ty pridesh'. Vy ishchete kogo-to, ne tak li?" This time, it's the lady who asks.

"Tak oni skazali vam?"

"Net, ya eto videl. Voydite."

Marcus turns to me after the lady finishes. "Come on! Let's get inside to rest." I follow Marcus inside and up the stairs to a bedroom. He touches my shoulder gently. "There's only one guest room."

"That's fine. We can look for them tomorrow. Less likely to be attacked anyway."

"You really don't speak a drop of Russian?"

"I can say: YA ne govoryu po-russki."

Marcus laughs. "You taught yourself to say I don't speak Russian?"

"I know how to say I don't speak in about eight different languages. It's useful. I was never the child who was good with anything dad taught us. I'm the passionate, go-for-the-rights kid. Syd picked up everything though. Zoe…she just tried to compete with the rest of us. I don't think she's ever understood that dad doesn't care."

"It'd be a hard pill to swallow. Especially with two older siblings. You never actually talked to Abe Mazur about Keith. Did you."

"No. I talked to someone who asked him for me. He scares me."

"He scares a lot of people. That's why he's so good at what he does. He said he'd help us by the way, but even with help, we still need to go over logistics so we know what to do tomorrow."

"We need to know where they're staying."

"And how they're staying. Are they getting comfy or ready to go on the fly?"

"This is going to take a while."

"It's why so many Alchemists are caffeine-addicts. All-nighters are part of the job description."

I nod. "Syd would be useful. She speaks Russian fluently."

"And Latin and Greek and French and Spanish."

"That's it?" I question wryly.

"She's probably working on another language as we speak."

I laugh and sit on the bed. "Logistics."

"Right. I only have Google Maps of Moscow, sorry."

"I'd prefer to draw it out."

"Geez, I said I was sorry! No need to yell!" Marcus overreacts and pretends to cower. I just watch, slightly bewildered.

"What exactly are you on right now?"

"Altitude sickness?"

"We're only 2,000 miles above sea level. That's, about where LA is."

"Oh…the bends?"

"Not under water."

"Exhaustion?"

"Plausible. Marcus, can we please work."

"Yeah, alright."

**The translation for Marcus and Yeva's conversation:**

_**Vy Belikova–Are you a Belikov?**_

_**Da–Yes**_

_**My druz'ya Rozy i Dimitriya–We are friends of Rose and Dimitri.**_

_**Ya znayu. Ya uvidel, chto pridesh'. Vy ishchete kogo-to, ne tak li–I know. I saw that you were coming. You are looking for someone, no?**_

_**Tak oni skazali vam–So they told you?**_

_**Net, ya eto videl. Voydite.–No. I saw it. Come in.**_

**Anywho…**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	19. Olga Lengyel

**Hey all! So, last Bloodline trailer came out yesterday which means there's only 14 days until Ruby Circle comes out! Instead of waiting until the bottom to translate the Russian to English, I've decided to translate it at the end of the quote. I'd also like to make it known that yesterday, 70 years ago to date, Auschwitz I, II (Birkenau), and III (Monowitz) were liberated by the Soviet Union. If you have a minute, you can find info on the United States Holocaust Museum's home page or Facebook page. Info can also be found at .org and as well as a program airing at 9pm EST today. The world mustn't forget, especially as we move into an era where there are fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors. Disclaimer: I did not write the Bloodlines series or the affiliated characters.**

"People should come together the moment there is danger. Endangering one group means endangering all of us."–Olga Lengyel

**MPOV**

Carly, as it turns out, likes to snuggle. After we got into bed last night, she'd conked out like a light. It had taken her all of five minutes after that to roll over and curl into me. After I fell asleep, she'd rolled further onto me and clung to my shirt, which is how I woke up. Being squished and clung to by a 21-year old girl who tended to hate men. The irony. I don't try to move her off me, but I do secure her around me a bit better as I shift and pull the blankets up.

I stare at the ceiling and go over our plan of action while Carly continues sleeping. We're surprisingly on schedule for the time zone we're currently in. I know why I'm on schedule, but Carly is a different story. It must be a mix of surprise and the ever-present exhaustion of college life. A knock sounds at the door and I turn to it.

"Vy ne spish'?" Are you awake. A voice calls through the door.

"Da. Karli ne." Yes. Carly isn't.

"Khorosho. Zavtrak v polchasa." Okay. Breakfast in half an hour. Footsteps recede from the door and I turn back to the ceiling.

"Tell them to speak English. Or at least French." Carly mumbles.

"Okay my obnimat'sya oshibka." Cuddle bunny. I comment with a grin. Carly nudges me with her elbow before rolling to her feet.

"Homme fol." Mad man. She says with a scrunched nose.

"You know I speak French, right?"

"I _only_ speak French."

"You didn't pay attention during you language classes?"

She shrugs. "No."

"Zavtrak gotov!" Breakfast is ready. Someone shouts.

"Prikhod!" Coming. I shout to them, then to Carly. "Breakfast."

"Okay." She pulls a sweatshirt on before slipping out. I follow closely behind her. The Belikovs have set out food and most everyone is already eating. There are six of them in all.

"Karli prosil my govorim po-angliyeski yesli eto vosmozhno." Carly has requested we speak English if possible. I announce as I sit down with my food. The old woman cackles in response.

"I knew it! She isn't like the small, blonde Alchemist. They're most certainly related though." The old woman cackles again as she finishes. The smallest of the females, other than the baby, chokes. "Babushka!" at the same time I hear a hissed, "mama."

The old woman shrugs. "I have done nothing wrong."

Carly is listening intently when I glance over. "You know Sydney?"

The youngest girl nods rapidly. "She brought Rose, who saved Dimka. It was a chudo." The girl's speech speeds up towards the end and her last line ends up being spoken in Russian.

"Miracle." I fill in for Carly.

"Oh. When was this?"

"Last year. Before Queen Vasilisa was coroneted."

"Oh." Carly visibly deflates at the news and the old woman cackles again. I turn to her.

"What is with you?"

"Sisters! They're sisters! Dva iz trekh na bora." Two of a set of three.

"Sydney's your sister? Oh! It would be awful to be away from my sisters. The eldest, Karolina, lives close by with Paul and Zoya, so it's okay. Sonya and Marina, her baby, are living here. Dimka is in the States. I'm Viktoria, by the way. Just while I'm introducing everyone, thought I should mention my name. Oh! And Yeva, our grandmother, and Olena, our mama."

"I'm Marcus, this is Carly." Carly waves.

"She's not like Sydney. She doesn't seem to mind us." Viktoria comments.

Carly all but snarls at the remark. "Syd was misguided for some time. Led astray. She doesn't care now."

Which is debatable. She might not care about the fact that they're vampires, but she does care that they're her allies.

"Viktoria. Why don't you practice outside."–Olena commands gently.–"You both need to get going if you want to reach it to Moscow before nightfall."

"Thanks," Carly heads upstairs to grab our things while I start the car. Once it's started, I'm startled to find Olena standing behind me wringing her hands.

"My mal'chik. Is he okay?" Baby boy.

"I saw Dimitri when I went to Court with Carly. He's fine."

"And my nevestka?" Daughter-in-law.

"Rose is fine too. They're both happy and well."

"Thank you." Olena walks in as Carly comes out.

"Let's get out here." I say, helping her and the luggage, into the car. We drive in the direction of Moscow and I hand the map over to Carly to navigate.

**Well, did you guys like the translation at the end of the quote or at the bottom better? Also, I couldn't find the gender or name of Sonya's baby in any of the books or 'Homecoming', so I made one up. If anyone knows the actual gender/name of the child, please PM me so I can fix it. Thanks!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


	20. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

**Hello! January seemed to go by so slow, can't believe it's actually February tomorrow. Disclaimer: I did not write Bloodlines or the affiliated characters.**

"Wisdom is found only in truth."–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

**CPOV**

It takes hours to get to Moscow. When Abe said that Baia was _close_, he was lying. Since Marcus left the navigation up to me, I made note of several airports within Moscow. We could have flown straight into the city, but we didn't. Why? I glance over at Marcus as he checks us into the hotel. Why stop in Baia? Marcus says something and I come back into focus. "What?"

"I asked if you wanted to go up and rest first, or get started looking for them now." Marcus' voice is amused.

"Now."

"Okay, let's just take our bags up." Marcus motions to the elevator and I follow close behind. We're only on floor two, so I suppose we could've taken the stairs. Marcus fumbles with the room key when we reach the door before slipping it in. The room is tiny. Only two twin beds and a nightstand are encased within. The bathroom isn't much better, it only fits one person. Once our luggage is settled, I all but drag Marcus out of the hotel and onto the street.

"Well, what now Carly? Moscow is 970 square miles or 2511 square kilometers in area. Population 11.5 million according to a 2010 population count. We'll never find them."

"Then we'll get help!" I snap. Pulling out my phone, I scroll through my contacts until I land on Sydney. "Syd?"

"Sorry, she can't reach the phone. Need something?"

"Adrian."

"Carly."

"I need Sydney to look into something for me."

"You really must make it quick, she's _terribly_ busy. Private matter…if you get what I mean."

"I need to know exactly where mom and Zoe are staying."

"She did that last night. Ulitsa Boris Galushkina. Boris Galushkina Street."

"You speak Russian?"

"I am Russian, Carly."

"Right. Thanks."

Adrian hangs up without saying goodbye and I roll my eyes. "Well?"

"Boris Galushkina Street."

"We'll need a cab. Taksi!"

"Is this another one of those moments where you have a conversation I can't understand in rapid Russian?"

"Yes."–A cab screeches up and Marcus drags me in.–"Ulitsa Boris Galushkina. Dvoynoye vremya. My s Interpolom, rebenok byl pokhishchen Umut Zhangazieva, naiboleye rozysk. Peremescheniye!" Boris Galushkina Street. Double Time. We're with Interpol, a child has been kidnapped by Umut Zhangazieva, on most wanted list. Move!

"Khorosho, khorosho. Glupyye amerikantsy." Alright, alright. Stupid Americans. The cab driver seems annoyed, but listens to Marcus anyway. We speed through the streets of Moscow so quickly, that I have no hopes of tracing what streets we take. It sets me on edge slightly, but only slightly.

The place mom and Zoe are staying at is an apartment complex. There's no way of finding them without staking the building. I rub my forehead. This is going to be a very long day.

**Tada! Another short one, but I've never written a stake-out before so I need to do a bit more research before I write. Anywho, until Wednesday!**

**R&R**

**Ciao**


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